State pension claimants are being reminded of a shake-up by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) which could see them get paid at a different date.
With another bank holiday coming this month, those who get paid towards the end of May could see their payment date changed.
Other DWP recipients on payments such as Universal Credit and Pension Credit will also be impacted by the payment date changed.
Anyone claiming benefits support from the Government will get paid earlier than usual.
This is carried out by the DWP to ensure that families in need are not waiting longer to get much-needed money.
With the cost of living crisis still impacting the finances of older households, millions of state pensioners are being told to mark this payment date change in their calendars.
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State pensioners will be impacted by a payment date shake-up by the DWP
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When will pensioners get paid?
This year, the Spring bank holiday falls on Monday, May 27 which means Britons will be able to enjoy another long weekend this month.
However, if someone gets paid their state pension on this date, they will now receive their money on May 24 instead.
If someone’s payment fate falls outside the bank holiday, they will get their pension on the date they expect as nothing will change.
Due to another bank holiday earlier this month on May 6, many people on the state pension were paid May 3 instead.
Who else is impacted by the payment date change?
Britons of working-age who claim DWP benefits or HMRC tax credits will also be affected by this change if their payment date falls on the bank holiday.
Here is a full list of the benefit payments, outside of the state pension, that will also get paid earlier on May 24:
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
- Universal Credit
- Child Benefit/Guardian’s Allowance
- Working Tax Credits
- Child Tax Credits.
Anyone who is expecting a payment one day before the bank holiday who does not end up receiving it, should contact the DWP immediately.
Will state pension amounts be changed?
There should be no changes to how much someone gets from their pension as the only change brought about by the bank holiday will be the payment date.
How much someone gets paid in the state pension is dependent on their National Insurance record with someone needing 35 years worth of contributions to get the full new payment.
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Pensioners are being urged to be proactive with their finances ahead of this payment date change
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Thanks to this payment date change, many pensioners will have to be proactive in managing their finances with many older people struggling to make ends meet amid the fluctuating cost of living.
Dr Carole Easton OBE, Chief Executive at the Centre for Ageing Better, said: “The cost of living crisis has clearly been a very difficult time for many of our nation’s pensioners who are being forced to cut back on even the basic essentials of life.
“But it is also impacting the ability of workers to save and to contribute to a pension, creating the substantial risk of even greater pensioner poverty in the near future.
“The highest poverty rate among adults in this country is now among adults aged 60 and over who are heading towards retirement which indicates the worst may yet be to come.”