Millions of state pensioners across the UK will get a Christmas bonus payment from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) within days.

The bonus is a one-off tax-free payment of £10 that is paid to people claiming certain benefits before Christmas.

The free £10 will be sent directly to your bank account by the DWP if you are eligible – so you don’t need to apply – and will appear on your bank statement as ‘DWP XB’.

The DWP normally issues the payment in the first full week of December, meaning it should land in bank accounts next week.

To get the bonus you must live, or be “ordinarily resident” in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar, during the qualifying week, which this year is from December 2 to 8.

You also need to be claiming the State Pension in the qualifying week, or at least one of the following benefits to be eligible:

• Adult Disability Payment
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Child Disability Payment
• Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
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• 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 Credit – the guarantee element
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
• 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

You won’t get the Christmas Bonus if you haven’t claimed your State Pension and you’re not entitled to one of the other qualifying benefits.

If you’re married, in a civil partnership, or living together as if you are, and you both receive at least one of the above qualifying benefits, then you will each get the Christmas Bonus from the DWP.

If your partner doesn’t get one of the qualifying benefits, they may still be eligible for the payment if both of the following apply:

• you’re both over State Pension age by the end of the qualifying week
• your partner or civil partner was also present (or ‘ordinarily resident’) in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland during the qualifying week

and either:

• you’re entitled to an increase of a qualifying benefit for your partner or civil partner
• the only qualifying benefit you’re getting is Pension Credit

If you think you’re entitled to the £10 Christmas Bonus but you don’t receive it in the first week of December then you should contact the Jobcentre Plus office that deals with your payments or the Pension Service.