Millions of Brits will be handed out a Christmas bonus payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) this winter.

Those claiming a wide range of benefits will be handed out the tax-free £10 payment which will be handed out automatically and will have no effect on any benefit claims. Those eligible for the payment include those claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and State Pension.

The Christmas payment is generally given in the "first full week" of December and was first introduced as part of the Pensioners' and Familly Income Supplement Payments Act in 1972. For the past five years, the bonus cash has been worth £10, however, in 2008 it was increased to £70 to support people during the financial crash.

Read more: Millions to get £10 Christmas bonus from DWP this year - full list of eligible benefits

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Who can get the Christmas bonus?

The DWP will only pay the cash to those who live or are "ordinarily resident" in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or Gibraltar while receiving a qualifying benefit. These include the following benefits:

  • 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 support allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)

  • DLA

  • Incapacity benefit at the long-term rate

  • Industrial death benefit (for widows or widowers)

  • Mobility supplement

  • Pension Credit (the guarantee element)

  • 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

It's important to note that Universal Credit is not included in the current list for this year's Christmas bonus. Universal Credit claimants will have to instead be claiming one of the above benefits to be eligible for the payment.