Christmas Bonus: DWP confirms who'll get £10 Christmas Bonus payments in December 2025 - eligible benefits
The festive £10 payment will land automatically for millions of eligible claimants 🎄
- Millions on long-term benefits will receive a £10 Christmas Bonus from the DWP this December
- The one-off payment is tax-free and won’t affect any other benefits
- It’s paid automatically to those who qualify — no application needed
- The bonus is expected to arrive in the first full week of December 2025
- A wide range of benefits, including PIP, ESA, and State Pension, make you eligible
Millions of people on certain benefits will receive a £10 Christmas Bonus from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) this December.
The one-off payment is tax-free and won’t affect other benefits. It’s designed as a small seasonal boost for people on long-term support, and it’s been in place for over 50 years.
You don’t need to apply. The money will be paid automatically into your account if you qualify.
When will the £10 Christmas Bonus be paid?
The bonus is usually paid in the first full week of December, and this year it’s expected to land between Monday, December 1 and Sunday, December 7, 2025.
It will appear on your bank statement as “DWP XB” or something similar, depending on your benefit type and payment system.
If you haven’t received it by the start of January, you should contact Jobcentre Plus or the Pension Service to check your eligibility.
In Scotland, the bonus is administered by Social Security Scotland, while in Northern Ireland, it is managed by the Department for Communities (DfC). Regardless of the administering body, the eligibility criteria remain consistent across the UK.
Who qualifies for the Christmas Bonus?
To get the £10 payment, you must be living in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or Gibraltar during the qualifying week in early December.
You must also be receiving at least one of the eligible benefits during that week. If you’re married or in a civil partnership and you both meet the criteria, you’ll each get £10.
Full list of eligible benefits for 2025
The following benefits make you eligible for the DWP’s 2025 Christmas Bonus:
- Adult Disability Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Carer Support Payment
- Child Disability Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance (under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
- Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) — once you’ve entered the main phase (after 13 weeks)
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
- Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)
- Mobility Supplement
- Pension Age Disability Payment
- Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit element)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA)
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
- Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
- War Disablement Pension (if you’re at State Pension age)
- War Widow’s Pension
- Widowed Mother’s Allowance
- Widowed Parent’s Allowance
- Widow’s Pension
The payment is automatic, so there’s no need to apply. It’s tax-free and doesn’t affect any of your other benefits.
The Christmas Bonus is separate from the Winter Fuel Payment, Cold Weather Payment, and Warm Home Discount schemes.
The £10 amount has remained the same since 1972, though campaigners have urged the government to increase it in line with inflation.
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