By Levi Winchester

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will soon issue a Christmas bonus to millions of people claiming benefits. The Christmas bonus is worth £10 and has been criticised in previous years for being an “insult” to families, in light of rising bills and inflation. The payment has not been permanently increased since it was introduced by the DWP in 1972. It was briefly raised to £70 in 2008 to support people during the financial crash but was reduced back to £10 the following year. If you are due the DWP Christmas bonus, you have to be in receipt of one of the following benefits in the qualifying week. The qualifying week is usually the first full week of December. The list of benefits are as follows: You must also be present or “ordinarily resident” in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week. The money is paid automatically – so you won’t need to apply for it. It should show as ” DWP XB” on your bank statement. The money is tax-free, and does not affect any of your other benefits. If you’re a married couple, in a civil partnership or living together, it is possible for both of you to get the Christmas bonus. You each need to be claiming one of the qualifying benefits to get the Christmas bonus. If one partner does not receive a qualifying benefit, they may still be eligible for the payment, as long as they meet both of the following requirements: And either