Overview of Christmas Bonus
Christmas bonus is basically a tax free payment of £10 made before Christmas to those people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week (generally in the first week of December).
You don’t need to claim the bonus amount as it will automatically paid into your account.
What you’ll get as a Christmas bonus?
A one off tax free payment of £10 as Christmas bonus. This bonus payment will not affect any other benefits you are getting.
How the Christmas Bonus paid?
As you know all allowances, pensions & other benefits are generally credited into your bank account and it may be shown on your bank statement as “DWP XB”.
Eligibility to get Christmas Bonus
In order to get eligible for Christmas bonus, you must be present or ordinarily resident in UK, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Channel Island, Switzerland or any European economic area during the qualifying week.
You are also eligible to receive at least one of the following benefits in the “qualifying week” (Generally first week of December) –
- Attendance allowance
- Carer’s allowance
- Armed forces independent payment
- Disability living allowance
- Contribution based employment and support allowance
- Constant attendance allowance (paid under industrial injuries or war pension schemes)
- Incapacity benefit at the long term rate
- Mobility supplement
- Industrial death benefit (For widows or widowers)
- Personal independence payment (PIP)
- Pension credit – the guarantee element
- State pension (Including graduated retirement benefit)
- Unemployability supplement or allowance (paid during industrial injuries or war pension schemes)
- War disablement pension at state pension age
- War widow’s pension
- Widow’s pension
- Widowed mother’s allowance
- Widowed parent’s allowance
- Severe disability allowance (Transitionally protected)
In case you have not claimed your state pension and not entitled to any of the benefits mentioned above, you are not eligible for Christmas bonus.
How to Claim Christmas Bonus?
You don’t need to claim the Christmas bonus as it automatically gets credited into your bank account.
In case you think you should get it but it has not been received yet, you can contact the Job Centre plus office or pension Centre as they deal with your payments.
Further information on Christmas Bonus
In case you are married or in a civil partnership or living together and both are getting one of the qualifying benefits, you both are eligible for Christmas bonus.
In case your partner or Civil partner doesn’t get any of the following benefits, they may get eligible for Christmas bonus if both of the conditions apply –
- Both of you must be above the state pension age by the end of the qualifying week.
- Your partner or civil partner musty also be present in UK, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, Channel islands, Switzerland or European economic area during the qualifying week.
And either –
- You are entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or Civil partner.
- The only qualifying benefit you are getting is pension credit.
Any Questions? Request a callback from our Tax Experts.
