New calls for £165 Christmas Bonus payment for millions of people on benefits
dailyrecord.co.ukMore than 19,270 people have signed an online petition calling on the UK Government to increase the annual £10 Christmas Bonus payment in line with inflation.
The tax-free £10 payment has been paid to millions of benefit claimants since it was introduced by Ted Heath’s Conservative Government in 1972.
The payment made by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to people in receipt of State Pension or those claiming certain other benefits including Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance and Carer’s Allowance - if they meet the eligibility criteria during a specific qualifying period, which is typically the first full week in December.
However, it has not been uprated since it was introduced over five decades ago and in today’s money, it would be worth £165.36 - when calculated under the composite price index published by the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS).
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