Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend (1) to remove the £10 Christmas bonus for qualifying pensioners, or (2) to restore it to its original value as a percentage of the basic pension.

The Government has no current plans to revise the arrangements for the Christmas Bonus.

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.