Overview
- The one-off £10 bonus was issued during the first full week of December and should have reached eligible claimants by Christmas Day.
- The payment is made automatically into the usual benefits or pension account and typically shows on statements as 'XB' or 'DWP XB'.
- Claimants who believe they qualify but have not been paid by January 1 are advised to contact Jobcentre Plus or the Pension Service.
- Eligibility depends on receiving at least one qualifying benefit in the qualifying week and being ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar; qualifying benefits include the State Pension, PIP and Carer’s Allowance.
- The bonus is tax-free and does not affect other benefits, while a Telegraph columnist has argued for scrapping the scheme over an estimated £186 million annual cost, with no policy change announced.