Christmas Bonus

You may be able to get Christmas Bonus, the one-off tax-free 10 payment made before Christmas. This is normally paid automatically to those customers getting a qualifying benefit in the qualifying week and who meet the residency conditions.

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. You must also be entitled to at least one of the following benefits in the qualifying week (normally the first full week of December):

• Attendance Allowance
• Carer's Allowance
• 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 Credit - the guarantee element
• 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 if over State Pension age
• War Widow's Pension
• Widowed Mother's Allowance
• Widowed Parent's Allowance
• Widow's Pension

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.

• Attendance Allowance

• Constant Attendance Allowance

• Disability Living Allowance

How much do you get?

Christmas Bonus is normally 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

• 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 claim

You don't need to claim Christmas Bonus- you should 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.

• Contact Jobcentre Plus Opens new window

• Who to contact at The Pension Service (pensions and retirement planning section)

More useful links

• On a low income benefits

• War Disablement Pension

• Warm Front Scheme in England

• Allowances that can reduce your tax in retirement

• Nominating a helper to collect benefits or a pension for you (pensions and retirement planning section)

• Financial reasons to make a will

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Source:

DirectGov

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