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Christmas Bonus
You may be able to get Christmas Bonus, the one-off tax-free £10 payment made before Christmas. This is paid automatically to those customers getting a qualifying benefit in the qualifying week.
Who is eligible?
To get a Christmas Bonus you must be a resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, any EEA country, or Switzerland and be entitled to at least one of the following benefits in the qualifying week:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
- Industrial Death Benefit
- Carer's Allowance
- Mobility Supplement
- Pension Credit - the guarantee element
- State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Unemployability Supplement or Allowance
- War Disablement Pension if aged 65 or over
- War Widow's Pension
- Widow's Pension
- Widowed Mother's Allowance
- Widowed Parent's Allowance
Please note, you will not qualify for the Christmas Bonus on the basis of State Pension entitlement if you are deferring your State Pension claim.
How much do you get?
Christmas Bonus is a one-off payment of £10.
If you're part of a married or unmarried couple or civil partnership and both of you are entitled to one of the qualifying benefits you'll each get a Christmas Bonus payment.
Your partner or civil partner will also get payments if both the following apply:
- you're both over State Pension age by the start of the qualifying week
- your partner or civil partner was also resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, EEA country or Switzerland at the start of the qualifying week
and either
- you're entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner
or
- the only qualifying benefit you're getting is Pension Credit
How it's paid
Christmas Bonus is usually paid directly into your bank, building society, Post Office® or National Savings account that accepts Direct Payment.
If you're registered blind or need someone who cares for you to collect your money, you'll be sent a cheque to be cashed at the Post Office®.
Effect on benefits
The Christmas Bonus payment will not affect other benefits you may be getting.
How to apply
You don't need to claim Christmas Bonus - you'll get it automatically. If you think you qualify for the payment but haven't got it, speak to the Jobcentre Plus or pension centre that deals with your payments.
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