£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.

@totallyclueless have you applied for a grant before to help?

DS2 spent his on a giant Lindt bear and some squishy toys

Mine from my Carers went on a large hazelnut hot chocolate and Nutella croissant from Costa.

We had a grant when we got our first motability car excited. The deposit for the same car was nearly £2000 at the time and we had to change from a different vehicle unexpectedly due to a change in needs. Motability grants were fantastic and helped us out really quickly.
We extended the lease on our current motability car so we had an extra 2 years to save the required deposit. We will get there but it’s difficult to save when you can’t work and have a mortgage to pay which you took out based on two salaries.
No doubt people think we should have started saving sooner but we have had to replace broken furniture and clothing on an ongoing basis.
If anyone wants my bonus they can have it if they can also take my sons disabilities and give up work to look after him.
They might be pleased to know that they will get two £10 bonuses - one for my son and one for themselves as a carer. Rolling in the cash

I'm one of the few people I know who is actually GLAD to pay taxes. I genuinely believe in helping out people in society - it benefits everyone in many ways. I just wish that people didn't vote with their wallets so often, and could actually see how incredibly important taxes and public services are.

Well said, KickAssAngel.

The £10 bonus won't even come close to making up the loss in real-terms income that people on benefits have suffered since 2010.

Mine's going toward the fund for putting another bannister on the stairs. No fund here via OT to do it and I'm losing the use of my left hand. But hey, I'm loaded, right!

Ooh thanks OP, I just checked my account and saw that I got my £10 too!

Not sure what I'll spend it on, might save it for the January sales to make it stretch further

I expect it will go towards christmas. I think its nice that they give a little extra

@totallyclueless it's so expensive isn't it! People think we are privileged getting a mobility car. Im very grateful for mine, but it does still cost a fortune! Especially with adaption's etc.

I am surprised at people who are saying they’re skint AF just spending that tenner ad hoc on stuff like hot chocolate! I’d have thought on benefits you’d be so hard up the tenner would be needed for food, heating or to save for emergencies.

I’m not saying people don’t deserve treats before anyone jumps on me, I’m just surprised. I guess if your budget is crazy tight it’s nice to have a little extra to blow. A tenner would have felt like a lottery win when I was majorly skint.

ALemonyPea yours so far sounds the best to me!! I have never tried the hazelnut hot chocolate or the Nutella croissant..im salivating right now that is exactly what mine is going on now 😁

Pathetic that people are getting upset over 10pounds. Why begrudge people with disabilities that tiny amount? People arent going to town with that amount, most seem to buy little treats that they usually cant.

Vietnamese -DLA and PIP are not income dependent. PM me your address and I'll send you DS's tenner. Perhaps you could buy yourself something to stop you feeling so bitter.

I'm glad people get a £10 bonus, it shouldn't just be PIP though

It’s not though. It’s various different disability benefits, plus means tested pension benefits and the old style widow/widowers benefits.

It’ll not be a debating point for too long though as the new bereavement benefits and universal credit don’t get it so it’s being scrapped by the back door for most people.

My ds had his yesterday. He's soon to be 7, he doesn't know what he wants to do with it. But to echo another poster I'd gladly give up DWP if it meant my son hasn't spent the years he has with his extra needs! Seeing your child get frustrated, upset and angry over the years is not fun.

40 cans of Ace lager

I am surprised at people who are saying they’re skint AF just spending that tenner ad hoc on stuff like hot chocolate! I’d have thought on benefits you’d be so hard up the tenner would be needed for food, heating or to save for emergencies

PIP isn't means tested. Are you missing that or just willfully ignoring it?

PIP is just a nice extra on top of a decent wage

Jesus fucking Christ will you listen to yourself?
A nice extra??

It's really nice that I get to spend a nice extra on treatment that I need, but on the NHS is a two year + waiting list. Nice that I have to have a certain car that costs a fortune in order to fit my wheelchair in and have it hoist it out. Nice extra for me to pay the carer I need when DH is away with work, taxis for my DS to school when I can't move with pain. Support when I go out alone as my PTSD won't let me be independent. Extra costs for hospital parking, food I can prepare easily, adapted equipment at home, higher utility bills etc. Really just a lovely, nice extra.

Get a massive grip.

people for whom the PIP is just a nice extra

Esther McVey, is that you?

Oh ffs. You know exactly what I meant. People for whom PIP is a useful addition on top of their salary instead of what they have to live on. There’s a big difference between receiving PIP on top of a decent salary and receiving PIP while unable to work. My phrasing wasn’t clear enough but you knew exactly what I fucking meant :)

And before you start, as many people have highlighted, PIP isn’t means tested. So you’re either naive or deliberately obtuse if you can’t see that people receive PIP on all parts of the financial spectrum.

viatnamese for most people getting that tenner poverty is not a short term thing. Most people with a severe disability have been in poverty for years and years. They have learned to manage the essentials like heating and food but things like hot chocolate might be beyond the budget. After a decade of scrimping I don’t bloody blame anybody who wants to spend an extra tenner on a little luxury like hot chocolate. After being battered black and blue by a severely disabled child every day for months on end if I didn’t need to put every penny towards a replacement motability vehicle I would be buying wine and chocolate and bloody well enjoying my Christmas treat

Why are you commenting on what people spend the bonus on anyway, and how 'surprised' you are that people might be treating themselves? You are another that is being extremely goady whilst pretending you are being soo reasonable. What is it to you if somebody wants to buy a hot chocolate? Why do you consider that needs your input?

I get a £800 bonus, twice a year. That's 1600 a year. Tax takes most of it away but still good, this year they've changed the scheme so probably won't get the same ever again

Thanks for the response totallycluelessoverhere, I agree completely, everyone deserves a treat and I’m a big believer in people being able to spend their money on whatever works best for them, whatever the source of that money. I’m sorry your other expenses mean you can’t afford to spend it on a treat :(