BRITS are set for a boost to their benefits at Christmas with an extra £10.
The welfare bonus will be paid to eligible people already on a form of benefits in December.
It is a tax-free one-off payment – so if you are on Universal Credit for example, it won’t increase your income during a later assessment.
You shouldn’t need to make any extra claims for the Christmas Bonus, it should get to you automatically if you are eligible.
But if you are on Universal Credit you won’t automatically get the extra money, it is only if you also receive another benefit, including carer’s allowance and pensions credit.
The Government website says: “To get a Christmas Bonus you must be present or ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, any European Economic Area (EEA) country, or Switzerland during the qualifying week.
“You must also get at least one of the following benefits in the ‘qualifying week’ – this is normally the first full week of December:
“If you haven’t claimed your State Pension and aren’t entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits you won’t get a Christmas Bonus.”