Full list of people eligible for DWP Christmas bonus in 2024

2 days ago

The yearly Christmas bonus from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is returning for 2024, and millions of people in the UK are set to qualify for this payment.

DWP Christmas bonus - Figure 1 — Photo Metro

The tax-exempt bonus is expected to be deposited into bank accounts in the first week of December.

Even though it’s just a £10 increase, this program has been ongoing since 1972.

Payments are provided to individuals who are either receiving a state pension or applying for specific benefits.

You must fulfill the eligibility requirements during the qualifying timeframe, which is usually the first complete week of December.

You don’t have to submit an application for the bonus; it will be automatically added to the account where you receive your pension or other benefits. Look for the payment reference ‘DWP XB’ to identify it.

The payment has not been updated or raised since it was introduced by the Conservatives in the 1970s. To put it in perspective, that £10 from 1972 would be equivalent to around £165 today.

Who Qualifies For The Christmas Bonus?

To qualify for the Christmas Bonus, you need to be living in or usually reside in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or Gibraltar during the specified qualifying week, which runs from December 2 to December 8.

The DWP clarifies that not everyone who is over the state pension age will receive the payment. Specifically, if you haven’t applied for your state pension and you're not eligible for any of the other qualifying benefits, you won’t be receiving a Christmas bonus.

If you are in a marriage, a civil partnership, or cohabiting in a relationship similar to marriage, and both partners receive one of the eligible benefits, each of you will receive a £10 bonus for Christmas.

If your partner or civil partner isn't receiving any of the qualifying benefits, they might still be eligible for the Christmas bonus, as long as both of these conditions are met:

One of these conditions must also be met:

Here’s the list of benefits that qualify for the Christmas bonus. To be eligible for the bonus, you need to receive at least one of these benefits during the qualifying week:

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