The tax-free £10 Christmas Bonus has been distributed to millions receiving the State Pension or qualifying benefits since its introduction by Ted Heath's Conservative Government in 1972. The Department for Work and Pensions administers the payment to those claiming State Pension or benefits such as Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, and Carer's Allowance, provided they satisfy eligibility requirements during the qualifying window in December. To be eligible, individuals must be present or 'ordinarily resident' in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, or Gibraltar during the qualifying week, typically the first full week of December. The DWP distributes the payment in December.
Petition organiser David Angus Kirkwood contends that the £10 Christmas Bonus has remained unchanged since its launch over 50 years ago. According to Kirkwood, if adjusted for today's standards, the £10 Christmas Bonus would equate to approximately £171, based on the composite price index inflation rate of 3 per cent, as published by the UK Office for National Statistics. The petition statement notes that in the early 1970s, £10 was a significant boost for those without income to assist with increased Christmas costs, but today £10 is insufficient for many holiday expenses, according to the organiser. The specific inflation rate or formula used to calculate these equivalent figures remains unclear.
Nearly 24 million people across Great Britain receive at least one benefit, with the State Pension considered a contributory benefit, and around 15 million of these people receive the £10 payment. This equates to a UK Government expenditure of £150 million on the DWP Christmas Bonus. For the 2026/27 period, 24 benefits will qualify for the £10 payment, however, the 8.3 million people claiming Universal Credit are not eligible.
The petition proposes that the annual one-off sum should exclusively be granted to 'British citizens, who have been claiming benefits for a minimum of six months.' The 'Adjust the £10 DWP Christmas Bonus introduced in 1972 to reflect inflation' petition appears on the Petitions Parliament website. Once the petition reaches 10,000 signatures, it will warrant a written reply from the UK Government. It is unknown whether the UK Government has officially responded to the petition or plans to review the £10 Christmas Bonus. The historical context of why the £10 amount was set in 1972 and whether it has ever been adjusted since then also remains unspecified. How many signatures the petition currently has beyond the reported 4,680, and when it might reach the 10,000 threshold for a government response, is not confirmed.