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Money, tax and benefits
Christmas Bonus
You may be able to get Christmas Bonus, the one-off tax-free £10 payment made before Christmas. For 2008, an additional tax-free payment of £60 will be paid automatically to those customers getting a qualifying benefit in the week commencing 22 December 2008. This will be paid between January 2009 and March 2009.
Who is eligible?
To get a Christmas Bonus you must be a resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, any EEA country, or Switzerland and be entitled (unless you are deferring your State Pension) to at least one of the following benefits in the first full week in December:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
- Industrial Death Benefit
- Carer's Allowance
- Mobility Supplement
- Pension Credit - the guarantee element
- State Pension (including Graduated Pension)
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Unemployability Supplement or Allowance
- War Disablement Pension if aged 65 or over
- War Widow's Pension
- Widow's Pension
- Widowed Mother's Allowance
- Widowed Parent's Allowance
How much do you get?
Christmas Bonus is a one-off payment of £10. For 2008 an additional payment of £60 will be paid between January 2009 and March 2009.
If you're part of a married or unmarried couple or civil partnership and both of you are entitled to one of the qualifying benefits you'll each get a Christmas Bonus payment and, for 2008, the additional £60.
Your partner or civil partner will also get payments if both the following apply:
- you're both over State Pension age by the first Monday in December (for the £60 payment you need to be over State Pension age by 22 December 2008)
- your partner or civil partner was also resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, EEA country or Switzerland in the first full week in December
and either
- you're entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner
or
- the only qualifying benefit you're getting is Pension Credit
How it's paid
Christmas Bonus is usually paid directly into your bank, building society, Post Office® or National Savings account that accepts Direct Payment.
If you're registered blind or need someone who cares for you to collect your money, you'll be sent a cheque to be cashed at the Post Office®. For 2008 the additional £60 payment will be made in the same way.
Effect on benefits
Neither the Christmas Bonus payment nor the additional £60 payment will affect other benefits you may be getting.
How to apply
You don't need to claim Christmas Bonus or the £60 payment - you'll get it automatically. If you think you qualify for the payment but haven't got it, speak to the Jobcentre Plus or pension centre that deals with your payments.
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