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Christmas Bonus

The Christmas Bonus is a one-off tax-free £10 payment made before Christmas and paid to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week. This is normally the first full week of December. You don’t need to claim - you should get paid automatically.

Eligibility

To get a Christmas Bonus you must be present or ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week. 

If you live in or are moving to a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, find out about benefits for UK nationals in the EU, EEA and Switzerland.

You must also get at least one of the following benefits in the qualifying week - this is normally the first full week of December:

  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Carer's Allowance
  • 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)
  • Disability Living Allowance
  • Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
  • Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)
  • Mobility Supplement
  • Pension Credit (the guarantee element)
  • Personal Independence Payment
  • 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 if over State Pension age
  • War Widow's Pension
  • Widowed Mother's Allowance
  • Widowed Parent's Allowance
  • Widow's Pension

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.

What you'll get

Christmas Bonus is a one-off payment of £10.

The Christmas Bonus payment won’t affect any other benefits you get.

How you are paid

All allowances,  benefits and pensions are paid normally into an account, for example, your bank account. 

How to claim

You don't need to claim Christmas Bonus - you should get it automatically. If you think you qualify for the payment but haven't got it, contact the benefit office that deals with your payments.

  • Jobs and Benefits offices
  • Northern Ireland Pension Centre
  • Disability and Carers Service
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Centre
  • Incapacity Benefits Branch
  • Industrial Injuries Branch

Further information

If you’re part of a married couple, in a civil partnership or living together as if you are and you both get one of the qualifying benefits you’ll each get a Christmas Bonus payment.

If your partner or civil partner doesn’t get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still get the Christmas Bonus if both the following apply:

  • you’re both over State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week
  • your partner or civil partner was also present (or ‘ordinarily resident’) in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland during the qualifying week

and either:

  • you’re entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner
  • the only qualifying benefit you’re getting is Pension Credit

More useful links

  • On a low income
  • Tax and allowances in retirement 
  • Nominating a helper to collect benefits or a pension for you 
  • Contacting 08 and 03 numbers
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On a low income

  • Benefits for higher education students
  • Christmas Bonus
  • Cold Weather Payment
  • Cost of Living Payments
  • Energy saving grants
  • Extended payment of Housing Benefit/Rate Relief
  • Help to save
  • Help with health costs
  • Housing Benefit and Rate Relief for tenants
  • Income Support
  • Income Support with dependant's allowance - two child limit
  • Mortgage Interest Run On
  • Rates Housing Benefit and Rate Relief
  • Support for Mortgage Interest
  • Universal Credit
  • Winter Fuel Payment

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Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

Carer's Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912
Email 
dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

Call 0800 587 2750 
Email 
customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

Disability Living Allowance

Call 0800 587 0912 
Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

Employment and Support Allowance

Call 0800 587 1377

Jobseeker’s Allowance

Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

Personal Independence Payment

Call 0800 587 0932

If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

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If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

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For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

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