£10 from Government?

[Farrnorth]

Both my wife and I received a credit of £10 from the Government this week with no indication as to what it was for. We are pensioners. Any ideas?

[bibblebub]

it's the annual Christmas bonus

[bibblebub]

oops, didn't need to say 'annual' since it's for Christmas, which thankfully comes only once a year

[albaqwerty]

Good grief!! It's still a tenner after all these years?? Ridiculous. It's almost an insult.

[Farrnorth]

Thanks bibblebub. I usually hear from you under Crosswords! What a political gimmick. Just increase the pensions a tad would suffice.

[albaqwerty]

Couldn't agree with you more Farrnorth.

[ojread2]

£10? You cant even get a turkey for that nowadays

[puternut]

Turkeys - frozen £9.99 in Lidls this week!!!!

[ojread2]

lol =)

[albaqwerty]

can't buy a penny caramel with the change these days....

[factor-fiction]

I think these bonus payments, and more importantly the winter fuel payments, need to be rethought, although I can understand why all parties would be reluctant to tackle this because some will perceive it as an attack on the elderly/the poor. But if the basic pension was increased by a little more than equivalent amount- by say £10 a week- it would help the poorer pensioners and the government would get a bit back from the better off pensioners through income tax.

[factor-fiction]

Incidentally, I recall this £10 Christmas bonus was introduced around 40 years ago and as far as I can remember it has been held at £10 ever since. (If it had been uprated in line with inflation it would probably be worth at least £80 now.)
I expect no government has dared take it away. It does seem a bit trivial now though alongside the much bigger winter fuel payment that is sent out at around the same time

[sara3]

it's trivial, but over all.. a pretty big bill, I should think.

[factor-fiction]

Yes, there are more than 10 million pensioners getting the £10 payment so it costs over £100 million. I don't know whether that is trivial or not compared with overall government spending (after all, aren't we spending almost that amount on the opening ceremony for the Olympics).
I meant it was trivial compared with the £200/£300 winter fuel allowances which costs over £2billion a year, and I'm surprised that when the winter fuel allowance was introduced it wasn't consolidated with (or paid instead of) the Christmas bonus

[starone]

It is so small that I had forgotten about it. I haven't had mine yet but as I pay £72 a month Income Tax as far as I am concerned it will not make much difference. If they send a letter out informing you you are getting it that is another vast expense. Or is that included in the final amount?

[EDDIE51]

My wife just got hers and this year as I get carers allowance for her I got one as well , £20 might just get a small turkey.

[daffy654]

It isn't just pensioners that get the £10 christmas bonus, everyone in receipt of disability benefits gets it as well.

[bednobs]

if people are that insulted by it, send it back or give it to me please. I don't get a "christmas bonus"!

[jno]

as puternut has pointed out, you can get a turkey for less than £10. I don't know why people are grumbling about, in effect, a free Christmas turkey from the government.

If you don't want it, forward the money to bednobs as already suggested.

[Euphemia]

As a pensioner I don't recollect ever having received it. However, I do wonder if the cost is worth it.