Calls for DWP Christmas bonus to be boosted to more than £100
Campaigners say one-off payment should be increased to help families with cost of living
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has been urged to increase the Christmas bonus for low-income families to more than £100 to help them with the cost of living crisis.
The plea comes as the nation faces soaring energy bills, food costs and other rising costs that are putting pressure on household budgets.
The Christmas bonus is a one-off payment made each December by the DWP to people receiving certain benefits, including the State Pension, and it is currently worth £10.
But charities and campaigners say this is not enough and have called on the government to increase the payment to at least £100.
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF), a charity that works to tackle poverty, said the Christmas bonus should be increased to £100 for all recipients and extended to those on Universal Credit.
The JRF said the payment would help families with the cost of food, energy and other essentials over the Christmas period.
The charity said: “The Christmas bonus is a small but important payment for low-income families.
It can help them buy food, presents or other essentials over the Christmas period.
We believe that the government should increase the Christmas bonus to £100 for all recipients to help them with the cost of living crisis."
The call for an increased Christmas bonus has been backed by other charities and campaigners, including Age UK and the National Pensioners Convention.
The government has not yet said whether it will increase the Christmas bonus.
A DWP spokesperson said: “We understand that many people are struggling with the cost of living, which is why we are providing a range of support to help, including the £650 one-off payment for around eight million low-income households.
We will continue to monitor the situation and consider what further support may be needed.”
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