Benefit claimants hit out at 'patronising' £10 Christmas bonus that hasn't gone up for 40 years

Those on benefits who qualify for the annual bonus launch savage attack on scheme and say they'd rather be left in peace than have the stress of a DWP envelope dropping through the letterbox

You'd think that everyone would love the thought of a Christmas bonus in their December pay packet.

Even benefit claimants get a little extra at this time of year.

But those receiving the annual bonus from the Department for Work and Pensions don't seem to be feeling the joy.

The DWP pays out £10 every year to those in receipt of specific benefits - find out here if you're eligible for the payment

And there are quite a few who aren't happy about it at all.

Many believe it's a paltry sum that isn't worth the effort as it hasn't kept up with inflation. One man remembers receiving the exact same amount in 1982, meaning it has not gone up for four decades.

One wrote on Twitter: "Got my £10 xmas DLA bonus 2day! Cld'nt help thinking that most wld happily give that up in exchange 4 being left in peace the rest of the yr."

Another replied, saying: "I did too. how bloody generous of them. and yes. I'd exchange it."

Paul Mcginley said: "If you have a job that pays well enough and you can cover everything you have to pay then you are extremely lucky.

"Nobody should be on a benefit level so low it barely makes a dent in what you need to just survive. Christmas bonus on my DLA was £10 on top of £185 a month."

StarlightMcKenzie commented: "I get DLA for son. Every Christmas I receive a brown envelope informing me of £10 bonus/extra. I wish they’d keep both. The effect on my stress levels of the envelope is not worth £10."

Shannon Murray wrote: "Any other DLA/PIP recipients leaping for joy with their £10 Christmas bonus? I started receiving it back in 1991. In 2019 it’s still £10, so much for inflation."

She added: "And I appreciate that for some people that £10 bonus will make a difference to their week, but it’s insane that it hasn’t risen in over 30/40 years.

Replying to Shannon, Mark Naylor said: "It would be £56.49 if it kept up with inflation. It's supposed to be a "bonus"; £56.49 would buy me a nice meal and some drinks to socialise with friends afterwards. £10 Might just buy me a pizza, medium sized, no extra toppings, when it's on promotion."

Owen Hamilton added: "Yeah I'm having a spending spree, lol!"

Mandy Altoft said: "I cranked the heating up to 25 for 3 minutes, made sure I used the whole £10!"

Andree wrote: "It must be getting to the point where it costs more than £10 to print, envelope & post the letters and to process the one-off payments."

Liz MacKenzie said: "I honestly don’t know why it’s given; feels patronising. I’d rather there were good social care services and a brilliant NHS where funds aren’t cut, cut, cut."

Rusty Shackleford chipped in: "Look on the bright side, I'm on ESA and I get diddly squat for a Christmas bonus!"

To get a Christmas Bonus you must be present or usually resident in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, any European Economic Area (EEA) country, or Switzerland during the qualifying week.

The European Economic Area consists of the EU member states plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.

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

The DWP said it would not be giving a comment in response to the criticism but provided Birmingham Live with some background material.

It explained that the Christmas bonus payment was established by the Pensioners and Family Income Supplement Payments Act 1972 as a one-off payment which was repeated by the Heath government in 1973 and 1974.

It adds: "The bonus is a tax-free £10 payment made each year to claimants who receive a qualifying benefit in a qualifying week, which is the first week in December

"Qualifying benefits have an order of precedence for payment of the bonus  with the higher rated benefit attracting the payment.

"But only one payment of the bonus will be made."