I thought my Christmas bonus would help – it was only £10

When I got the first letter, 17 years ago, to say I would get a Christmas bonus from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), my heart leapt. 

‘Finally,’ I thought, ‘a bit of brightness for the festive season!’

As I read on, however, things weren’t as great as I had assumed.

I would be receiving a whole 10 pounds.

At the time, things were hard. I had claimed incapacity benefit when my son was born in March that year. I had birth complications and a severe mental illness and so I couldn’t work as much as I had been.

I suffer from bipolar disorder, meaning that my mental health is extremely fragile – if I try to work more than part time I’ve found myself having a complete breakdown and having to go to hospital.  

My condition means I also have added costs related to the extreme fatigue and anxiety I often feel, meaning that things like cooking a simple meal or walking a short distance can sometimes be impossible.

That meant I also claimed Disability Living Allowance at the same time to help with the costs of my disability, though I now claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP) due to changes in the system. 

I had never claimed for this kind of support before, and while it didn’t take away all the money worries for my little family, it certainly helped. 

I was still pretty embarrassed though – now I know that the system is there as a safety net for everyone, but at the time I felt bad that I had to ask for help.

The amount of the Christmas bonus has remained unchanged since the introduction of the bonus via the Pensioners and Family Income Supplement Payments Act in 1972 – almost 50 years ago.

Not everyone on benefits is entitled to it; only those who get certain other benefits, such as PIP like me, Carer’s Allowance, or the state pension, can expect the payment. The qualifying benefits tend to be those claimed by pensioners and disabled people, mostly irrespective of income.

While obviously any money is very gratefully received, £10 seemed ridiculous, even in 2007.

Now, 17 years later, with inflation and the cost of living rising, it is almost an insult. 

Most of the benefits system has moved with the times – arguably not enough, but it has definitely changed. 

Universal Credit has simplified and streamlined much of the previous processes, although it has its own issues around decision making and sanctions. 

Regular benefits payments have tended to rise in line with inflation in recent years, although I would argue they could be higher.  

This £10 Christmas ‘bonus’, however, remains as a relic. If it had changed with inflation, an online calculator tells me it would be worth £115.76, which would be enough to actually make a difference.

The admin cost of it must be huge, all to make not very much difference at all to each individual person who receives it. A tenner won’t even buy a small turkey these days, never mind make a dent in the Christmas costs. 

All I can think is that maybe the PR of scrapping a benefit received by millions is too scary for a government to face, but surely the savings would be worth it?

In an ideal world I would love the bonus to match inflation. Sadly, however, there doesn’t seem to be the political will.

I will probably use mine to donate to the local homeless shelter, or maybe just buy some wrapping paper, but I would rather the government got rid of the bonus entirely and used the money they save in a more useful way, giving Christmas dinner to the homeless, for example, or perhaps used for a treat for the NHS workers. 

I am one of the lucky disabled people who is able to work, and so I can do extra in the run up to Christmas to cover all the bills. 

But I honestly don’t feel that a one-off £10 payment makes much of a difference to anyone – I think there are far better ways to do it then just a little bit extra in December. 

One way to make a huge difference – much more than a token £10 – would be for the government to use the money to run a campaign to reduce stigma around benefits. 

There is a lot of misinformation out there around what they are and who claims. As a benefit claimant myself, I am often made to feel by parts of the media, politicians, and even people I meet or speak to online, that I am begging for the money that I am entitled to and that I need to live my life.

The Christmas bonus makes me feel like I am scrounging for scraps at the government’s table. 

In my experience of talking to fellow claimants, many people are put off turning to benefits because of the stigma that surrounds them – they worry that people will think less of them if they find out that they claim.

This is particularly true for older people, who often feel too proud to ask for help, even though claims are confidential, and no one should have to struggle alone.

The amount of unclaimed or under-claimed benefits is huge – a recent report from Policy in Practice estimates that almost £23billion in support is left unclaimed each year. That means people aren’t claiming all of the money that they are actually entitled to, leaving people more hard up than they need to be. 

That figure represents a massive number of people who are struggling more than they should be. Benefits are not enough to live a life of luxury, but they help. I would encourage anyone in this position to seek out the financial insecurity charity Turn2Us, or to ask your local Citizens Advice.

Benefit claimants are all individual people with our own stories. 

There needs to be more hopeful, optimistic stories out there to counteract the wave of negativity that we see now. 

A positive campaign would make life better for those of us who already claim, as well as encouraging people to ask for what they are entitled to. 

Christmas can be a beacon of happiness. 

Unfortunately, that isn’t the case for everyone and the costs of this time of year become much more of a burden. 

A bonus of £10 won’t help; it’s just patronising, and, simply, a reminder of the scorn that much of society has for people like me.

Too often it feels like we are expected to be overwhelmed with gratitude for the pittance we receive, and that is a bad start to the Christmas season.

Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing Ross.Mccafferty@metro.co.uk. 

Share your views in the comments below.

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