Carer's Allowance Christmas Bonus and Cold Weather Payment: Extra Payments

The £10 Christmas Bonus

If you receive Carer's Allowance — even a reduced payment because of an overlapping benefit — you qualify for the annual Christmas bonus. It is a one-off payment of £10, paid automatically in the first full week of December. You do not need to apply for it.

The bonus is tax-free and does not count as income for Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, or Council Tax Reduction calculations.

Underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance by itself does not qualify you for the Christmas Bonus. You must receive at least one qualifying benefit during the qualifying week, normally the first full week of December. State Pension or Pension Credit may qualify separately.

Cold Weather Payments

Cold Weather Payments are separate from the Christmas bonus and are not available to everyone on Carer's Allowance. They are paid at £25 for each qualifying period of very cold weather (seven consecutive days of recorded or forecast average temperature of 0°C or below at your local weather station).

To qualify for Cold Weather Payments, you generally need to be receiving a qualifying means-tested benefit — such as Pension Credit, income-related ESA, or Universal Credit with certain elements. Receiving Carer's Allowance alone does not automatically qualify you.

However, if you receive Universal Credit alongside Carer's Allowance, or if you receive Pension Credit (perhaps via the carer addition from underlying entitlement), you may well qualify. Check your specific circumstances — the qualifying conditions depend on which combination of benefits you receive, not on Carer's Allowance in isolation.

Cold Weather Payments are made automatically when your area triggers the temperature threshold. You do not need to claim. Cold Weather Payments are not available in Scotland; eligible people there may get a Winter Heating Payment instead.

Other Extra Payments Carers May Receive

Beyond the Christmas bonus and cold weather payments, carers receiving Carer's Allowance may qualify for:

• The Winter Fuel Payment — for 2026/27, you usually need to have been born on or before 27 June 1960 and meet the residence rules in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland. Scotland has Pension Age Winter Heating Payment instead. HMRC recovers the payment if your taxable income is over £35,000
• Scottish Carer Supplement — an extra £11.70 a week paid alongside Carer Support Payment. A small number of transitional Carer's Allowance cases continue to receive Carer's Allowance Supplement twice a year. See our Scotland comparison post
• Council Tax Reduction — not an extra payment, but Carer's Allowance and its associated premiums can significantly reduce your council tax bill. See our council tax post

The amounts involved may seem small — especially the £10 Christmas bonus, which has not been increased since 1972 — but every payment adds up for households where the main income is £86.45 per week.

Our Carer's Allowance Claim Guide covers the full picture of what Carer's Allowance unlocks, including the extra payments, NI credits, and interactions with other benefits that many carers miss.

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