MILLIONS on Universal Credit and other benefits will be in the process of receiving a Christmas bonus directly into their bank accounts.
The tax-free £10 payments started to be made from December 5 and all should be made by December 11.
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If you’re entitled to the payment you don’t have to apply as it will be transferred automatically.
But if you are in line for the £10 boost there’s a code you should look out for in your bank statement – “DWP XB”.
That’s because the payment is being made by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
So if you see a £10 payment in your bank account accompanied by this code you know it’s the Christmas bonus.
You don’t have to repay the sum of money as it’s not a loan.
Who is eligible for the bonus?
To qualify for the payment you must be present or ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the first full week of December between the 5 and 11.
Households will also need to claim at least one of the 20 qualifying benefits within the same period.
- 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
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If you’re one part of a married couple or in a civil partnership together you’ll both get the cash bonus – so long as you are both eligible.
How do I claim the bonus?
You don’t have to claim the bonus – if you’re eligible it will be paid automatically into your account.
The payment will be made into the same account you normally receive your benefit.
That said, you should still keep an eye on your bank account as the £10 is already being paid out to households.
All payments should be made by December 11.
In other news, we reveal the full list of hundreds of postcodes receiving cold weather payments worth £25 direct into bank accounts.
Plus, thousands of households are in line for £65 free cash to help them over the Christmas period.
