£10 Christmas bonus.

[recklessruby]

Just curious as to if you got yours from DWP (PIP etc). When? And what amazing thing you bought with it?
Mine came yesterday and I bought electric and gas top ups, chocolate and painkillers.

To those of you bemoaning the extra £10 some of us get this time of year.

My son gets DLA mad I get Carers Allowance...so I will get two lots so put that in yer pipe and smoke it.

Likely to go on the gas towards heating...we are end of terrace and it’s cold.

@withallintense that is a whole seperate topic. But I will answer honestly. I have seen hundreds, maybe into the thousands of NHS staff over the years. Consultants, surgeons, cleaners, nurses, physios you name it, iv seen them. Some have been absolutely amazing and you can see they are there because they do truly want to help and care for people. Little things in hospital to make you feel that little bit better, when your going though your lowest time. For example three nurses heard me crying on the phone to my mum on new years eve, saying I missed my dog, my log burner and just a cup of tea in real a cup..
When I got off the phone the nurse came in (at 1am) she handed me over her ipad, she said "I overheard you on the phone, I can't get you your log burner but I have downloaded an app on here of a fake fire, and here is my cup and tea pot so you can have a nice cup of tea for a change..I'm just sorry that I can't get your dog"
People like that deserve the biggest bonus and praise, for making what they see as something so small, so big to someone like me.

But there are some staff I have met along the way, that have just been there because it's a job. They have not one caring bone in their body. Just because they work for the NHS doesn't mean they do a good job and care.
It all depends on the individual, like with any job. If they do a good job..then of course they do!

Santa please read my follow-up posts.

I really do appreciate the nhs and would be happy for them to receive a bonus as I said before. But let’s consider that carers are much more woefully underpaid every single day than any other job in this country (excluding perhaps prisoners on work schemes). £64 for a minimum 35 hours working week (often over 100 hours). £10 Christmas bonus does nowehere near making up the massive amount carers Dave the economy.

Yabbers I was just wondering if HMRC did something similar.

@totallyclueless couldn't agree more. My DH is my carer, he has to do absolutely everything for me, between 7 am every morning until 11pm on a good night, if I have taken enough medication to knock me out. If not then he is up through the night looking after me, on top of that he looks after our three year old and baby. He works 365 days of the year. Never has even half a day off..for £64 a week..
It would be classed as slave labour in any other job..but this is ok because he is my carer?!

Just reading some of these posts made me so sad just that £10 is a lot of money to some people . I get DLA for my son but I work full time so as much as a £10 bonus is nice I don't need it like some people need it . Im donating mine to a local charity I hope it will bring someone who needs it a little happiness .

Why would you have to do any of that? If you are in chronic pain and struggling on a day to day basis you will be eligible to apply for pip even if you carry on working full time.

I so wish that was true. But it simply isn’t. I’ve been there. In absolute agony, every day, unable to get to work, dosed up to the hilt on morphine every day, and I was denied and then appealed and denied and appealed and denied.

@VietnameseCrispyFish I'm really sorry to hear that but I wasn't saying she would definitely get it, just that she is entitled to claim, as are you. There are people who know exactly how to word the forms to give you the best chance and it sounds like you should reapply.

I've had serious mobility problems for a few yrs now but was only granted a blue badge last year after applying many times before.

It makes me sad to think, in a country as wealthy as ours, that the disadvantaged are so poorly off that £10 at Christmas is seen as a "bonus". Jesus wept.

Havent read thread, sorry, but UC claimants wont be receiving this pittance.

Havent read thread, sorry, but UC claimants wont be receiving this pittance.

£10 is not a ‘pittance’ when you’re genuinely skint. You must be pretty fortunate to see it that way! £10 can be food for the week if you’re really careful or a couple of extra presents under the tree.

Thank you lollypops. I have not expressed myself clearly enough. I am well aware of the importance of an extra tenner to anyone on UC. It is a pittance, its value has never increased with inflation since it first came into being. I have mentioned it as I wouldnt want to think people were expecting it, only to be disappointed and also because its an absolute disgrace that his small bonus has been removed from claimants.

Have to agree that what is 'sad' 'unfair' is that the 'bonus' is such an insult - £10?? I'm lucky enough in that an extra £10 bonus from my employer which I don't get (NHS) won't make any difference - disgusted at (thankfully few) posters who resent it - what we really should resent is MPs claiming expenses for lunches in 'posh' hotels and we are paying for it - and that's just the tip of the rich iceberg!

Couldnt agree more. One MP lunch = 1 week UC. Utterly vile people legislating for other people to suffer while they feed off the State themselves, stocking up before the next grinning photo opportunity at yet another new food bank.

Well said longwayoff

Totally agree longwayoff.
Even if it could be a weeks shopping for somebody, £10 is a pittance. It is a disgrace that in such a developed country disabled people and carers are having to somehow feed themselves on £10 a week.
A lot of employed people would think it was pointless if their employer gave them a £10 bonus at Christmas, I imagine most wouldn’t even notice the difference in their pay packet.

I wish I'd said I was going to buy gin or a sex toy because this thread is definitely going to end up in the Daily Mail so it would have given their readers something to froth over.

Being disabled is expensive so no I don't begrudge anyone a tenner at all, and spend it on whatever makes you happy

I have a condition which means I don't really have an immune system and I take drugs used for when people are on chemo and get neutropenic. Also Hidradenitis supprativa and cauda equina syndrome
I'm technically "well" enough to work but stuff like the dressings, prescription costs, hospital parking, petrol to get to hospital, painkillers (OTC), hibiscrub to wash with... it adds up, and that's a "well" person!

Beat this - major high street name would give their staff £10 for Christmas IF they spent it in a designated named pub for a drink. Have to spend money on bus fare to get to said pub. Can't take your £10 and spend it elsewhere or have it in cash. If you do get to said pub there is no entertainment laid on, no one really speaks English so it's difficult to communicate with your colleagues. This is not a Christmas party /end of year bash - it is your Christmas bonus for a manual labouring job paying minimum wage.

And a poster upstream suggested working harder for a bonus - it doesn't happen in the world of this retailer !

That said, no way do I begrudge anyone except MPs their Christmas bonus. If it brings you an extra little something, goes towards bills or helps towards any home related costs, who are we to comment negatively. Very sad.

And a poster upstream suggested working harder for a bonus - it doesn't happen in the world of this retailer !

That really tickled me. What a privileged world to live in if you think that ‘working harder’ will lead to a bonus for the majority of workers. I have never had a NMW role where a bonus was even a thing. Even as a professional now, I’ve never had a job where a bonus was even a thing. You’re expected to work your ass off every day because it’s your JOB, there is no reward for working as hard as you can other than keeping your job.

I’ve had fifteen + jobs in my life so far (lots of periods of two or three at once) and never ever had a bonus. I wonder which industries and employers pay xmas bonuses cos it’s not something I’ve ever come across.

John Lewis as far as I know. That's it but good for them and their profit share scheme.

One of my exes worked for a high street bank, and he got a bonus at Christmas, but he's the only person I know who had one.

I used to work on checkouts for a supermarket. The store I worked in was a new one, and the first Christmas, the checkout managers clubbed together to get the checkout staff a box of chocolates, which was a nice surprise. But that was the only time. All the time I worked there, they did give us a Christmas meal in the canteen, which was free, and we had the managers serving us, so we always looked forward to that!

@ExcitedForChristmas18 we hadn’t good news today. My husbands employer has given him a £500 bonus (taxable). He has worked for the company for more than a decade and never had a Christmas bonus or even a pay rise (not even cost of living).
We can put this unexpected cash towards the motability car fund and he has insisted I spend my £10 carers allowance bonus on wine

Good luck to u totally, enjoy it

Haven't rtft but £10?? Thats ridiculous! Obviously better than nothing but its not actually going to help anyone out is it??

In Ireland its a double payment. Which still won't stretch too far over Christmas. I appreciate that the UK population is far greater and therefore have more to pay out, but they also have a lot more people paying in.