DWP claimants on these 24 benefits to get 'Christmas Bonus' - full list

Millions of benefit claimants are set to receive a 'Christmas Bonus' payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in the coming months.

The payment is worth £10 and has remained virtually unchanged since it was introduced in 1972, drawing widespread criticism from benefit claimants and charities alike. The bonus is paid to people who get certain benefits in a specified qualifying week, which is normally the first full week of December. People do not need to claim the bonus; it will arrive automatically in their bank accounts if they're eligible.

Who is eligible for the DWP Christmas Bonus?

To get a £10 Christmas Bonus, people must be present or 'ordinarily resident' in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week. This is usually the first week of December, but the dates are yet to be officially confirmed.

They must also get at least one of the following benefits in the 'qualifying week':

• 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)
• Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA)
• Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
• State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
• 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

Those who have not claimed their state pension yet and are not entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits will not get a Christmas Bonus.

People who are either married, in a civil partnership, or cohabiting and who receive one of the qualifying benefits are entitled to a Christmas Bonus payment each.

If a person's partner or civil partner does not get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still get the Christmas Bonus if both of the following apply:

• The couple are both over state pension age (currently 66) by the end of the qualifying week
• The couple are also present (or 'ordinarily resident') in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland during the qualifying week

and either:

• One person is entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for their partner or civil partner
• The only qualifying benefit a person is getting is Pension Credit.

To check for the payment, which typically arrives in December, people should look for the 'DWP XB' reference on their bank statement.

People who think they should be eligible but have not received a payment by January 1 are advised to contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with their benefit payments or the Pension Service.