Millions of state pensioners will be handed a Christmas cash bonus this winter after losing their £300 Winter Fuel Payment.
Though the Winter Fuel Payment of £200 to £300 has been removed for millions of pensioners, there is a very small consolation prize in the form of a bonus payment that’s been paid to all pensioners since the 1970s and remains in place this winter too.
Unfortunately the amount hasn’t been Triple Locked like the state pension itself and remains a 1970s level – it’s a £10 bonus.
While that isn’t likely to go far these days, it’s better than nothing and will automatically be sent to your bank account before December 25.
The bonus is designed to help cover additional costs related to Christmas and was first brought in back in 1972.
The money also doesn’t affect your eligibility for other benefits – so for example, the £10 won’t be counted as income when factoring in whether you’ll get Pension Credit.
Anyone who gets a state pension will get the payment if they are in receipt of their pension by December 1 2024.
If you are eligible for the state pension but you deferred it for whatever reason, you will not get the bonus.
It will show up in your bank account as DWP XB.
The £10 bonus isn’t just for those on state pension though, it is also paid to people claiming Carer’s Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Child Disability Payment, Pension Credit, PIP, Incapacity Benefit, Widow’s Pension or Disability Living Allowance, among a few others.
The best benefit to apply for if you’re on a low income is Pension Credit. This increases your weekly income to around £218 a week, so is worth about £11,300 a year, and can also qualify you for the £200 to £300 Winter Fuel Payment and other benefits like a free TV Licence.
