Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of ensuring that the annual Christmas bonus to recipients of benefits is increased in line with inflation.

The Christmas Bonus is an annual, tax-free, lump sum payment to pensioners and to working age people who are in receipt of certain qualifying benefits during the relevant week which is usually the first full week in December.

The bonus was initially introduced as a one-off payment of £10 in 1972 and has not been uprated or increased on a yearly basis. The Government remains committed to providing support to pensioners and others who receive the payments and has no current plans to revise the arrangements.