DWP Christmas Bonus payment will land in bank accounts from today

Benefit claimants will see a £10 Christmas bonus payment from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) land in their bank account from today.

The payment is an annual bonus of £10 that the DWP sends to people claiming certain benefits. It aims to help them with extra costs that can build up over the festive period.

To be eligible claimants need to be in receipt of a qualifying benefit, for example Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Pension Credit or Personal Independence Payments (PIP) among others.

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The payments are made during the first full week of December, which means people will start to receive them from today. They are paid automatically straight into bank accounts.

The £10 payment will show up as ‘DWP XB’ on your bank statement. Anyone who thinks they are eligible for a payment but does not get one during December should contact the DWP from January 1, when all payments should have been sent out.

Full list of eligibility for the DWP Christmas Bonus

To get a Christmas Bonus payment you must be present or ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week, which is normally the first full week of December, according to the DWP.

You must also get at least one of the following benefits:

• Adult Disability Payment

• Armed Forces Independence Payment

• Attendance Allowance

• Carer’s Allowance

• Carer Support Payment

• Child Disability Payment

• Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)

• Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)

• Disability Living Allowance

• Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate

• Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)

• Mobility Supplement

• Pension Age Disability Payment

• Pension Credit - the guarantee element

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

• State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)

• Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)

• Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)

• War Disablement Pension at State Pension age

• War Widow’s Pension

• Widowed Mother’s Allowance

• Widowed Parent’s Allowance

• Widow’s Pension

The DWP added: "If you have not claimed your State Pension and are not entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits you will not get a Christmas Bonus."

People who are married, in a civil partnership or living together as if they are, and both claiming one of the qualifying benefits should each get a Christmas Bonus payment.