Christmas benefits: when will Christmas bonus be paid in Leeds? Full details

The one-off tax free payment will arrive before Christmas

Christmas might be the most wonderful time of the year, but it is also one of the most expensive.

Between buying presents for your loved ones to festive parties and taking the kids to the pantomime, it can soon start to add up. The joy of the season can soon make your wallet feel much lighter.

The Government has already announced that it will be sending out a £100 winter fuel payment to homes across Leeds in the coming weeks. But for those on benefits, an extra bit of help is also on its way before Christmas.

People on benefits could receive a Christmas Bonus in 2026. Picture: SUSANNAH IRELAND/AFP via Getty Images.placeholder image
People on benefits could receive a Christmas Bonus in 2026. Picture: SUSANNAH IRELAND/AFP via Getty Images. | SUSANNAH IRELAND/AFP via Getty Images.

Each December, people on qualifying benefits can get a one-off Christmas bonus. Those who receive it will get an extra tax-free £10 paid into their bank account during December.

On the Government’s website it explains: “The Christmas Bonus is a one-off tax-free £10 payment made before Christmas, paid to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week.

“This is normally the first full week of December. You do not need to claim - you should get paid automatically.”

This year, December begins on a Tuesday and so the first full week in the month will be the 7th to the 13th.

For Leeds residents who receive child benefit payments, the money is also set to arrive slightly earlier in December. Due to Christmas being a bank holiday, people due to be paid on December 28 will instead receive it on Christmas Eve (December 24).

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