If you see DWP XB on your bank statement, it’s the Christmas Bonus: a one-off, tax-free £10 payment the Department for Work and Pensions sends each December to people already receiving certain benefits.1GOV.UK. Christmas Bonus “XB” is simply the DWP’s code for the bonus, and it appears as a separate line from your usual benefit payment, which is why it can look unfamiliar.2GOV.UK. Christmas Bonus – What You’ll Get
Why You Received It
You get the Christmas Bonus automatically if, during the “qualifying week” (normally the first full week of December), you were receiving at least one qualifying benefit and were present or ordinarily resident in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or Gibraltar.3GOV.UK. Christmas Bonus – Eligibility There’s no application. DWP already knows who qualifies and pays it into the same account as your regular benefits.4GOV.UK. Christmas Bonus – How to Claim
The qualifying benefits are:3GOV.UK. Christmas Bonus – Eligibility
- State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Widow’s or Widower’s Pension
If you’re on one of these, the DWP XB credit on your statement is exactly what it looks like, and you don’t need to do anything.
How Much and When
The amount is a flat £10 per eligible person, and it hasn’t changed since the bonus was introduced in 1972.1GOV.UK. Christmas Bonus Being on more than one qualifying benefit doesn’t increase it. Payments are made throughout December, and most people see the credit well before Christmas Day.3GOV.UK. Christmas Bonus – Eligibility
If you and a partner each receive a qualifying benefit, you each get your own £10. A partner who isn’t on a qualifying benefit in their own right can still receive the bonus if you’re both over State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week, and your partner was present or ordinarily resident during that week in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, an EEA country, or Switzerland.5GOV.UK. Christmas Bonus – Further Information
If You Think You Qualify but Haven’t Been Paid
If you believe you were eligible but haven’t received the bonus by 1 January, contact the Jobcentre Plus office that handles your payments, or the Pension Service.4GOV.UK. Christmas Bonus – How to Claim Have your National Insurance number ready and be prepared to say which qualifying benefit you were on during the first week of December. If you live abroad and receive your UK benefits overseas, the International Pension Centre handles the query instead.6GOV.UK. International Pension Centre
Beware of “Claim Your Bonus” Scams
Because the DWP XB code is unfamiliar to many people, scammers use the Christmas period to send texts and emails telling recipients to “apply” for a government bonus or confirm bank details to receive one. The DWP will never ask for your bank details by text or email, and the Christmas Bonus is paid automatically, so any message asking you to click a link or share information to claim it is fraudulent. Suspicious texts can be forwarded free of charge to 7726, and suspicious emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk.7GOV.UK. Pensioners Warned to Stay Alert as Winter Fuel Payment Scams Surge by Over 150
Does It Affect Your Other Benefits?
No. The £10 is tax-free and is disregarded across the benefit system, so it does not count as income for Universal Credit, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit, or other means-tested support.1GOV.UK. Christmas Bonus Your January payments won’t be reduced because of it, and you don’t need to report it on a tax return.