DWP to automatically pay Christmas bonus to disability benefits

The Department for Work and Pensions will pay a long-standing Christmas bonus to people receiving disability benefits, including Personal Independence Payment, automatically during the first full week of December, officials said, even as ministers prepare wider welfare reforms and a review of PIP eligibility remains under way. The one-off payment, a nominal sum that has been paid since the 1970s, will be deposited into claimants' accounts between December 1 and December 7 and should appear on bank statements as "DWP XB."

The bonus, which is tax free and does not affect other benefits, requires no application. The DWP advised anyone who believes they are eligible but does not see the payment to contact their local Jobcentre Plus or pension centre. The payment arrives amid ongoing uncertainty for disabled claimants: ministers paused proposed tightening of PIP eligibility pending a formal review of the assessment process and have signalled further welfare changes aimed at reducing long-term benefit dependency and supporting people into work.

Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden, who took office in September, said he was not ruling out policy changes before the review concludes....