Will you need to pay the Christmas bonus back?
No, you won’t need to pay today’s Universal Credit Christmas bonus back.
It also won’t affect any of the other benefits you receive.
You will likely be eligible for the payment if you receive the following benefits:
- 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
How to check if you have received the Xmas bonus
The £10 payment comes tax-free and should be transferred automatically if you qualify.
But you should check your bank statements for the following code “DWP XB” to ensure you have in fact received it.
Officials have assured people that the bonus payment won’t need to be repaid – nor will it affect any other benefits you get.
Plumbing expert’s hack to make your house more efficient this winter
A plumbing expert has shared a simple hack to make your house warmer this winter.
If you have found your radiators aren’t giving off much heat or they feel cold on the top half and warm on the bottom half then you may need to bleed your radiators.
This is relatively simple and can be done yourself with a radiator key and cloth.
You need to check if you have a sealed or opened system and ensure the heating is turned off before opening all the radiator valves including thermostatic radiator valves.
Using your radiator key, put it into the valve and twist it until you feel any air or water coming out.
Lynn Beattie, aka @mrsmummypenny on Instagram said: “If air comes out, keep it open until water starts coming out. Then shut it by tightening it. All air should be removed from the radiator now. “
You can then repeat this process on all radiators in your house before turning on the heating and allowing the system to heat up.
