The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is urging thousands of benefit claimants to come forward this month if they have not yet received a special festive payment.
Who is eligible for the January bonus?
While the £10 DWP Christmas Bonus was automatically paid to most eligible people in December, officials have confirmed that some households may have missed out. The one-off, tax-free payment is designed for those receiving specific state benefits.
The key qualifying benefits include Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance, and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). However, the full list is extensive, covering many other forms of support.
How to claim your missing £10 payment
If you believe you qualify but did not receive the payment by January 1, 2026, you must take action. The DWP advises contacting the Jobcentre Plus office that handles your payments or the Pension Service directly.
"You do not need to claim the Christmas Bonus - you should get it automatically," a DWP spokesperson stated. "If you think you should get it, but have not by January 1, contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service."
It is crucial to act promptly, as this opportunity to claim is available during January.
Full list of qualifying benefits
To be eligible for the £10 bonus, you must have been present or 'ordinarily resident' in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, or a European Economic Area (EEA) country during the qualifying week in early December. You must also be receiving one of the following benefits:
- Adult Disability Payment
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Carer Support Payment
- Child Disability Payment
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (after the first 13 weeks)
- Disability Living Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
- Industrial Death Benefit
- Mobility Supplement
- Pension Age Disability Payment
- Pension Credit (guarantee element)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA)
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- State Pension
- Unemployability Supplement or Allowance
- War Disablement Pension at State Pension age
- War Widow’s Pension
- Widowed Mother’s Allowance
- Widowed Parent’s Allowance
- Widow’s Pension
Importantly, if you have not claimed your State Pension and do not receive another qualifying benefit, you will not be eligible for the £10 payment.
This call to action ensures that vulnerable individuals and families, particularly pensioners and those with disabilities, receive the full support they are entitled to during the winter period.
