More than 4,800 people have signed an online petition calling on the UK Government to adjust a yearly £10 bonus payment in accordance with inflation. The non-taxable £10 bonus has been distributed to millions of State Pension or qualifying benefit recipients since its inception by Ted Heath’s Conservative Government in 1972.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) issues this Christmas payment to those receiving the State Pension or benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance and Carer’s Allowance – provided they meet the eligibility requirements during the December qualifying period.

However, David Angus Kirkwood, the creator of the petition, contends that it hasn’t been updated since its introduction over half a century ago. In today’s terms, it would equate to approximately £171 – based on the composite price index inflation rate of 3 per cent, as reported by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The ‘Adjust the £10 DWP Christmas Bonus introduced in 1972 to reflect inflation‘ petition is available on the Petitions Parliament website. Upon reaching 10,000 signatures, it would warrant a written response from the UK Government, reports the Daily Record.

The petition proposes that the annual one-off payment should exclusively be awarded to “British citizens, who have been claiming benefits for a minimum of six months”.

It continues: “In the early 1970s, £10 was a valuable uplift for those without income, to help with the increased costs associated with Christmas time. It would have helped towards paying for heating and electricity, food and drinks or Christmas presents for kids.

“It would have been the equivalent of approximately £180 today adjusted for inflation. £10 today won’t even buy a round of drinks, wouldn’t pay for a quality Christmas pudding or buy a box of decent Christmas crackers. £10 quite frankly is insulting.”

It’s worth bearing in mind that nearly 24 million people across Great Britain are in receipt of at least one benefit – the State Pension is classed as a contributory benefit – and of those around 15 million receive the £10 payment. This amounts to a UK Government spend of £150 million on the DWP Christmas Bonus.

DWP £10 Christmas Bonus

Some 24 benefits will be eligible for the 2026/27 £10 payment, however, 8.3 million people claiming Universal Credit do not qualify. The DWP issues the payment in December.

To qualify for the Christmas Bonus you must be present or ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, Gibraltar, during the qualifying week, which is usually the first full week of December.

Qualifying benefits

You must also be receiving at least one of the following benefits during the qualifying week:

• Adult Disability Payment (Scotland only)
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Carer Support Payment (Scotland only)
• Child Disability Payment (Scotland only)
• 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 (Scotland only)
• Pension Credit – the guarantee element
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA)
• State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
• 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

Not everyone over State Pension age gets the payment, DWP guidance on GOV.UK explains: “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.”

Find out more about the Christmas Bonus on GOV.UK here.