The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the code people will need to look out ahead of this year’s Christmas bonus.
Claimants of legacy benefit payments from the DWP are set to acquire a sum of £10 as part of the extra preserve.
It is normally paid by the Government department in the first week of December to those who are eligible.
If code “DWP XB” appears on someone’s bank statement, this means the Christmas bonus has been paid.
The payment is paid automatically, tax-free and does not affect someone’s claim for other DWP payments.
Who is eligible for the Christmas bonus?
Claimants of the following benefit payments from the DWP will be entitled to this year’s £10 amount:
- Adult Disability Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Child Disability Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
- Contribution-based Employment and preserve 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 Credit – the assure element
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- State Pension (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 State Pension age
- War Widow’s Pension
- Widowed Mother’s Allowance
- Widowed Parent’s Allowance
- Widow’s Pension.
If someone believes they are eligible for this preserve but did not acquire a Christmas bonus, they should contact their nearest Jobcentre Plus or The Pension Service.
Married couples and those in civil partnerships may be both eligible to acquire a Chrismas bonus but both need to be claiming one of the qualifying DWP benefits.
However, if one partner does not acquire one of the qualifying benefits, they may still be eligible for the £10 sum.
This will be the case if they are both over the state pension age by the end of this week.
Furthermore, their partner has to be in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland during the qualifying week.
As well as this, they must either be eligible for an boost of a qualifying benefit for their partner or civil partner and the only qualifying benefit they are on is Pension Credit
