Overview
- Viral videos, including AI-generated posts, wrongly claimed the Christmas Bonus would rise to £200, and Full Fact has confirmed it remains £10 for 2025.
- To qualify, you must receive one of the specified benefits during the first full week of December, and Universal Credit on its own does not count.
- The payment is automatic, typically shows as 'XB' or 'DWP XB' on bank statements, and requires being present or ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar in the qualifying week.
- Payments are made in early December and can arrive up to 1 January, after which eligible people who have not been paid should contact Jobcentre Plus or the Pension Service.
- Separate winter support schemes such as Winter Fuel Payment, Cold Weather Payments, the Warm Home Discount and the Household Support Fund could take total assistance to about £1,085 for some households.