The tax-free payment has been paid to millions of people on the State Pension or a qualifying benefit since it was introduced but has not been changed since then
More than 4,100 people have put their names to an online petition demanding the UK Government to adjust the annual £10 Christmas Bonus payment in line with inflation. The tax-free tenner, a festive gift from the state to millions on the State Pension or eligible benefits, has been a fixture since its introduction by Ted Heath’s Tory Government back in 1972.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) dishes out this payment to those drawing the State Pension or certain benefits such as Personal Independence Payment ( PIP ), Adult Disability Payment (ADP), Attendance Allowance and Carer’s Allowance – provided they meet the qualifying criteria during the December period.
However, David Angus Kirkwood, the man behind the petition, argues that the bonus hasn’t seen an increase since its inception over half a century ago. He points out that, adjusted for inflation, it would be worth roughly £169 today, according to calculations based on the composite price index published by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS), reports the Daily Record.
The ‘Adjust the £10 DWP Christmas Bonus introduced in 1972 to reflect inflation’ petition is now live on the Petitions Parliament website. If it garners 10,000 signatures, it will warrant a written response from Sir Keir Starmer’s Government, which is already under pressure to plug holes in the UK finances. The petition proposes that the annual one-off payment should only be awarded to “British citizens, who have been claiming benefits for a minimum of six months”
The petition says: “In the early 1970s, £10 was a valuable uplift for those without income, to help with the increased costs associated with Christmas time. It would have helped towards paying for heating and electricity, food and drinks or Christmas presents for kids.
“It would have been the equivalent of approximately £180 today adjusted for inflation. £10 today won’t even buy a round of drinks, wouldn’t pay for a quality Christmas pudding or buy a box of decent Christmas crackers. £10 quite frankly is insulting.”
It’s crucial to note that nearly 24 million Brits receive at least one benefit – the State Pension counts as a contributory benefit – with roughly 15 million pocketing the tenner. This sees the UK Government shelling out £150 million on the DWP Christmas Bonus.
DWP £10 Christmas Bonus
While 24 benefits qualify for this year’s £10 handout, a massive 8.3 million Universal Credit claimants are left out in the cold. The DWP began dishing out the 2025 payment last week and will carry on through to December 31. Bear in mind this arrives as a standalone payment, separate from your regular State Pension or benefit, so it might land on a different date.
There’s no need to put in a claim for the extra tenner as it should drop automatically into the account where you normally get your benefit payment or State Pension. Look out for ‘DWP XB’ on your bank statements and online banking.
Who is eligible for the £10 Christmas Bonus?
To be eligible for the Christmas Bonus, you must be present or ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week of December 1-7.
The DWP will send letters to eligible claimants informing them they will receive the £10 bonus in December, though these typically arrive after the payment has been made owing to heightened pressure on postal services over the festive period.
Qualifying benefits
You must also get at least one of the following benefits in the qualifying week:
- Adult Disability Payment (Scotland only)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Carer Support Payment (Scotland only)
- Child Disability Payment (Scotland only)
- 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 (Scotland only)
- Pension Credit – the guarantee element
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA)
- 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
Not everyone over State Pension age will get the payment, DWP guidance on GOV.UK explains: “If you have not claimed your State Pension and are not entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits you will not get a Christmas Bonus.”
Married or cohabiting couples and civil partnerships
The DWP guidance explains that if you’re part of a married couple, in a civil partnership or living together as if you are and you both get one of the qualifying benefits you will each get a £10 Christmas Bonus payment.
If your partner or civil partner does not get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still get the Christmas Bonus if both the following apply:
- you’re both over State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week
- your partner or civil partner was 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
One of the following must also apply:
- 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
How to claim
You do not need to claim the Christmas Bonus – you should get it automatically before January 1, 2026.. Find out more about the Christmas Bonus on GOV.UK here.
