The DWP say that the £10 Christmas bonus should normally be paid in the first full week in December, but we are now well into the second full week in December and we are still hearing from people who haven’t had theirs yet.
Have you had yours? Let us know in the comments below.
How the Christmas bonus shows on your statement
The payment will normally show up as a single £10 payment with the reference ‘DWP XB’
It was originally introduced in 1972 and it was a payment of £10 way back then as well.
According to the Bank of England’s inflation calculator, if the Christmas bonus had kept pace with inflation it would now be worth £108.63.
Who is eligible
You must also get at least one of the following benefits in the ‘qualifying week’ - this is normally the first full week of December:
- Adult Disability Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- 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 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
What to do if you haven’t got your Christmas bonus
The DWP say you should contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your benefits or the Pension service. Unfortunately there does not seem to be an online form you can use to report non-payment.
