The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has officially responded to a petition that is urging for an increase to the £10 Christmas Bonus. The DWP is under fresh pressure as calls mount for the Christmas Bonus payment, which benefits millions, to be raised to £165.
The petition has garnered the support of over 20,600 signatories who are advocating for the annual bonus to be adjusted in line with inflation. Shona McMahon, the creator of the petition, expressed her concern: “Christmas is THE most expensive time of year! Pensioners, the vulnerable and people like myself, disabled, could do with an extra boost at this time of year, especially as the energy assistance has been axed.”
She also highlighted the stagnation of the bonus amount: “It was shocking to learn that the ‘£10 Christmas Bonus’ has been the same for OVER FIVE DECADES! ! ” In response, a spokesperson for the DWP remarked: “We are taking immediate action to turn around the dire inheritance we face – with more people living in poverty now than 14 years ago.”
They continued by outlining measures being taken: “This includes extending the Household Support Fund for the most vulnerable, kickstarting work to develop a strategy to reduce child poverty, and taking the first steps towards delivering a genuine living wage for working people.”
Additionally, another petition on the Parliamentary website details: “The Christmas bonus was introduced in 1972. Since then, inflation has lowered the cost of the pound significantly, yet the £10 number remained the same. With inflation taken into account, the bonus should actually be around £130. We want the Government to account for inflation in these payments.”, reports Birmingham Live.
“The DWP Christmas bonus for benefit claimants is a measly £10 – hardly enough to cover the costs associated with holidays. It is almost insulting to be presented with an amount of money this small – the equivalent of 76p before inflation – when many of us are already living hand to mouth and in constant fear of getting our benefits reassessed or revoked. Disabled and low-income people deserve better.”