The Christmas Bonus is a one-off tax-free £10 payment made before Christmas to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week. GOV.UK says the qualifying week is normally the first full week of December, which on that normal pattern would run from Monday 7 to Sunday 13 December 2026. You do not need to claim, because GOV.UK says you should get paid automatically.
Christmas Bonus eligibility checker
What the Christmas Bonus is
The Christmas Bonus is a single £10 payment that GOV.UK describes as one-off and tax-free. It is paid before Christmas to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week.
The GOV.UK guide gives one amount, £10, and the checker above works with that figure. There is no form to fill in and no application window to watch for, because GOV.UK says you should get paid automatically.
Two things decide whether you are listed as eligible. The first is where you are during the qualifying week. The second is which benefits you get in that same week. The sections below take each test in turn, using the wording on the GOV.UK eligibility page.
Benefits That Qualify for the Christmas Bonus
List from GOV.UK, Christmas Bonus eligibility.
| Qualifying benefit (get at least one in the qualifying week) |
|---|
| Adult Disability Payment |
| Armed Forces Independence Payment |
| Attendance Allowance |
| Carer's Allowance |
| Carer Support Payment |
| 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) |
| Disability Living Allowance |
| Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate |
| Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers) |
| Mobility Supplement |
| Pension Age Disability Payment |
| Pension Credit - the guarantee element |
| Personal Independence Payment (PIP) |
| Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA) |
| Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected) |
| State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit) |
| 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 |
The qualifying week for 2026
GOV.UK says the qualifying week is normally the first full week of December. On that normal pattern, the first full week of December 2026 runs from Monday 7 to Sunday 13 December 2026.
The guide uses the word normally, so treat those dates as the usual pattern applied to 2026 rather than a confirmed date. The checker above asks about the benefits you get in the qualifying week, whatever its exact dates turn out to be.
Both eligibility tests apply to this one week. You must be present or ordinarily resident in a listed place during the qualifying week, and you must get at least one qualifying benefit in that week. For example, a carer in Leeds who gets Carer's Allowance during Monday 7 to Sunday 13 December 2026 meets both tests, if that is the qualifying week.
Where you need to live
You must be present or ordinarily resident in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week. Those are the four places named in the GOV.UK eligibility rule.
A pensioner who is ordinarily resident on the Isle of Man meets the residence test in the same way as a pensioner living in Glasgow or Cardiff. The benefit test still has to be met as well.
If you live in, or are moving to, a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland, GOV.UK points you to its separate guidance on benefits for UK nationals in the EU, EEA and Switzerland. Those rules sit outside this page and outside the checker above.
Benefits that qualify
You must get at least one of the benefits on the GOV.UK list in the qualifying week. The full list is in the table below, and the checker above uses the same list.
Many of the qualifying benefits are disability and care payments. They include Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment, Pension Age Disability Payment and Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA). Carer's Allowance and Carer Support Payment are on the list too.
Pension and bereavement payments also count. State Pension qualifies, including Graduated Retirement Benefit. So do War Widow's Pension, Widowed Mother's Allowance, Widowed Parent's Allowance, Widow's Pension and Industrial Death Benefit for widows or widowers.
Payments linked to military service or injury at work are on the list as well. These include Armed Forces Independence Payment, Mobility Supplement, Constant Attendance Allowance and Unemployability Supplement or Allowance. The last two count when paid under the Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes.
Benefits that only count in certain cases
Some benefits qualify only in a particular form. Pension Credit counts through the guarantee element, and Incapacity Benefit counts at the long-term rate.
Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance counts once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim. Someone still in the first 13 weeks of a contribution-based claim during the qualifying week does not meet that condition through ESA alone.
Severe Disablement Allowance qualifies where it is transitionally protected. War Disablement Pension qualifies at State Pension age.
State Pension has a rule of its own. If you have not claimed your State Pension and are not entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits, you will not get a Christmas Bonus. For example, a person who has not claimed State Pension and gets nothing else on the list is not listed as eligible for the £10.
How it is paid and what to do if it is missing
You do not need to claim the Christmas Bonus. GOV.UK says you should get it automatically if you meet the conditions.
If you think you should get it but have not been paid by 1 January, contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service. Those are the two contacts named on the GOV.UK how to claim page.
Before you get in touch, the checker above lets you go back over both conditions. Tick the benefits you got in the qualifying week and confirm where you lived. If the result shows you as listed as eligible and the £10 has not arrived by 1 January, the GOV.UK guidance points you to those contacts.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Christmas Bonus? GOV.UK describes the Christmas Bonus as a one-off tax-free £10 payment made before Christmas. It goes to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week.
When is the Christmas Bonus qualifying week in 2026? GOV.UK says the qualifying week is normally the first full week of December. On that normal pattern it would run from Monday 7 to Sunday 13 December 2026, but this is the usual pattern rather than a confirmed date.
Do I need to claim the Christmas Bonus? No. GOV.UK says you do not need to claim and you should get it automatically.
What should I do if I have not received the Christmas Bonus? If you think you should get it but have not by 1 January, contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service.
Can I get the Christmas Bonus if I have not claimed my State Pension? Only if you are entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits. If you have not claimed your State Pension and are not entitled to any other qualifying benefit, you will not get a Christmas Bonus.
Official Sources
Figures are based on 2026/27 published UK government rates. This guide is general information only and not financial advice. Last checked September 2026.
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