Overview
- Payments arrive without a claim and typically show on bank statements as “XB” or “DWP XB.”
- Eligibility depends on receiving a listed benefit in the first full week of December, with Universal Credit alone not qualifying.
- Claimants must be ordinarily resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week.
- Couples can each receive the payment if both are on qualifying benefits, with limited provisions applying in some Pension Credit and partner-addition cases.
- Most DWP payments that would fall on 25 or 26 December are expected to be brought forward to Christmas Eve, subject to departmental confirmation.