UK households urged to make one check now to get DWP cash bonus

Households across the UK are urged to make a simple check to get a cash bonus from the ().

The is sending out a to eligible homes next week, but only those claiming certain benefits will qualify.

To get it, you must live, or be “ordinarily resident” in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar, during the qualifying week, which this year is from December 2 to 8.

The qualifying week is now just days away so households will need to check they are claiming the relevant benefit by the end of next week to get the .

You must be getting at least one of the following 23 benefits in the qualifying week of December 2 to 8:

• Adult Disability Payment

• Armed Forces Independence Payment

• Carer’s Allowance

• Carer Support Payment

• Child Disability Payment

• Constant (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 Age Disability Payment

• Pension Credit – the guarantee element

• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

• (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 age

• War Widow’s Pension

• Widowed Mother’s Allowance

• Widowed Parent’s Allowance

• Widow’s Pension

If you are claiming any of these in the qualifying week the will send the £10 bonus directly to your bank account.

The payment is usually issued in the first full week of December and will appear on your bank statement as ‘ XB’.

If you’re married, in a civil partnership, or living together as if you are, and you both receive at least one of the above qualifying benefits, then you will each get a Christmas Bonus from the .

If your partner doesn’t get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still be eligible for the payment if both of the following apply:

• you’re both over age by the end of the qualifying week

• your partner or civil partner was also present (or ‘ordinarily resident’) in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland during the qualifying week

and either:

• you’re entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner

• the only qualifying benefit you’re getting is Pension Credit

If you think you’re entitled to the £10 Christmas Bonus but you don’t receive it in the first week of December then you should contact the that deals with your payments or the .