DWP stops Christmas Bonus payment to benefits claimants under Universal Credit Claimants receiving certain benefits on the previous system were given £10 in December to help with Christmas costs

Benefits claimants who are used to receiving a one-off Christmas Bonus are no longer entitled to the additional money when they are moved onto Universal Credit.

The Christmas Bonus is a one-off, tax-free £10 payment made to people on certain benefits in the first week of December. It is designed to help those receiving benefits to cover the extra costs of Christmas.

The payment is made to anyone who recieves one of 19 different types of benefits, including Personal Independence Payments, Disability Living Allowance, or those receiving a state pension.

But the one-off December payment is not made to people on Universal Credit, the Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed.

‘It’s not something we do’

Meryl (not her real name) is a former ESA recipient and was switched over to Universal Credit this year.

She recently discovered she would no longer be receiving the payment, but says she was not informed of the change by the DWP.

When Meryl discovered the one-off December payment was not in her bank account, she decided to enquire on the Universal Credit portal with an administrator.

She was told by an assistant that the bonus is “not something we do under Universal Credit”.

“I asked to speak to a manager, but she wouldn’t direct me to anyone on the phone,” Meryl told i.

“She just directed me to the gov.uk website and refused to answer any other questions. It’s just one more low on top of everything else.”

‘It’s another example of cruelty’

Meryl, who is unable to work due to her health difficulties, claims the decision had been “made under stealth” and that claimants have not been told about the change.



“What really angers me is it’s a cut that hasn’t even been publicly acknowledged. Somebody’s just decided that they’re not going to pay this any more, and we’ve been given no more information.

“Eventually everyone will be on Universal Credit, so it’s a sneaky way to save money. They’re taking it away from everybody,” she said.

“Sure, it’s not a lot of money in this current climate, but it’s still £10 I would have spent on a gift for somebody else in my family. Our benefits are already being eroded, we’re already getting less money.

“They’re making a cut without telling anybody. It’s another example of cruelty. It’s just death by cuts,” she added.



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The Department of Work and Pensions has confirmed that Universal Credit claimants will not receive the one-off payment.

A DWP spokesperson said: “Universal Credit claimants have never received a one-off December payment, but many disabled people on Universal Credit will be better off on average by £100 month than when they received ESA.”

The department said that people receiving Universal Credit can still receive PIP and contribution based ESA payments, and “would therefore still be eligible for the benefit”.