Discover how much will be paid into your pension this December, along with the DWP Christmas bonus and applying for your Winter Fuel Payments
State pensioners are being urged to earmark six key dates in their diaries this December, with six payments totalling £1,369 set to land in their bank accounts. As we usher in the last month of the year, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has detailed how state pensions will be paid out early for the twelfth month in the calendar.
The maximum state pension in 2024 is a hefty £221.20 per week, or £11,502 annually. This is the new full state pension. Your state pension amount hinges on several factors, including your National Insurance contributions. The full basic State Pension typically requiring 35 qualifying years of National Insurance contributions to get the full amount. However, if you have at least 10 qualifying years – which can be before or after April 2016 – you’ll still receive something.
If you have Additional State Pension, you might find yourself with a starting amount that exceeds the maximum. The gap between your starting amount and the maximum state pension is known as your protected payment. The amount of SRP (Supplementary Retirement Plan) you’ve accumulated over your lifetime influences the state pension you receive.
You can check your potential state pension amount on GOV. UK. You also have the option to delay your claim to receive extra pension when you do claim.
The DWP Christmas bonus – due on December 1 – is worth £10. In previous years, it has been paid to eligible households during the first week of December. It is tax-free, does not affect any other benefits you’re claiming, and should come through by January 1 at the latest.
To be eligible for the DWP Christmas bonus, you must be claiming certain benefits. This benefit is paid to pensioners and those on various other DWP benefits such as Carer’s Allowance, Pension Credit, Attendance Allowance and PIP. It will appear in your account as ‘DWP XB’. Winter Fuel Payments are set to be distributed from December 1. This annual tax-free payment is available for households that include someone born on or before 22 September 1958 (for the 2024-25 period).
From 2024 onwards, those receiving Pension Credit, Universal Credit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, or an award of Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit of at least £26 for the tax year 2024-25 will be eligible.
However, a qualifying benefit such as Pension Credit must also be claimed to receive the money. If you haven’t yet done this, there is still time to apply and backdate your claim to September, which is when the ‘qualifying week’ was. But time is rapidly running out and you’ll need to do this no later than December 21.
Weather Payments will also continue from December 1. The DWP will continue to pay out these payments, worth £25, when temperatures drop below zero degrees for seven consecutive days. To qualify for the money, you need to be on certain benefits such as Pension Credit, Income Support, income based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), Universal Credit or Support For Mortgage Interest. The Warm Home Discount scheme is set to continue from December 1. This discount, worth £150 off your electricity bill, will be received by households on the ‘guarantee element’ of Pension Credit and those on low incomes.
If you’re named on the energy bill and receive Pension Credit, you should automatically get a 20 percent discount, provided your supplier is part of the scheme. Most benefits and tax credits payments will be made as usual in December, unless your usual payment date falls on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. In these cases, you’ll get your money a day early on either December 24 or 31.
