This qualifying week should have taken place in the first full week of December and so long as a claimant was eligible, they should have been paid automatically.

To get a Christmas bonus, a person must have been present or “ordinarily resident” in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar, any European Economic Area country or Switzerland during the qualifying week.

They must also be receiving at least one of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
• Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance (once the main phase of the benefit is entered after the first 13 weeks of claim)
• Disability Living Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate
• Industrial Death Benefit (for widows or widowers)
• Mobility Supplement
• Pension Credit – the guarantee element
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• State Pension (including Graduated Retirement Benefit)
• Severe Disablement Allowance (transitionally protected)
• Unemployability Supplement or Allowance (paid under Industrial Injuries or War Pensions schemes)
• War Disablement Pension at State Pension age
• War Widow’s Pension
• Widowed Mother’s Allowance
• Widowed Parent’s Allowance
• Widow’s Pension

READ MORE: DWP update jobcentre rules to reflect tier four changes