State pensions, Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and other benefits will be paid differently for thousands of claimants this year due to Christmas and New Year.
Claimants of support from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will get paid early if their usual payment date falls on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
Benefit claimants across the UK should prepare for altered payment schedules during the festive period, as both departments adjust their usual timetables around bank holidays.
Those expecting Government support on Christmas Day or Boxing Day will find their money deposited into accounts on Christmas Eve, December 24, which falls on a Tuesday.
DWP payment dates are changing
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This adjustment affects the vast majority of DWP and HMRC benefits. However, certain non-Universal Credit payments ordinarily scheduled for December 25 or 26 will arrive even earlier, landing in accounts on Monday December 23
It should be noted that the payment amounts themselves remain unchanged despite the shifted dates. Recipients due payments on New Year’s Day face a slightly more complex picture regarding when their funds will arrive.
Universal Credit claimants and those receiving certain other benefits scheduled for Thursday January 1 will typically see their money on Wednesday 31 December.
However, some payments may arrive on Monday December 30 instead, depending on the specific benefit type. Scottish residents face additional adjustments, as Friday January 2 is also a bank holiday north of the border.
Universal Credit payments will be impacted
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PAPayments that would normally fall on that date will similarly be brought forward to December 21.
Claimants receiving their money ahead of schedule will need to manage their finances carefully, as the early payment means a longer gap before the subsequent deposit arrives.
Benefits are typically paid directly into bank, building society or credit union accounts.Anyone who fails to receive their expected payment on the adjusted date should get in touch with the office responsible for administering their particular benefit.
However, recipients should bear in mind that helplines are unlikely to operate during bank holidays themselves, meaning queries may need to wait until normal working days resume.
Here is a full list of the DWP benefits impacted by the payment date change:
- Universal Credit
- State pension
- Pension Credit
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).
Here is a full breakdown of the Universal Credit payment date changes over Christmas and New Year:
- Wednesday December 24 – no change
- Thursday December 25 – paid on Wednesday December 24
- Friday December 26 – paid on Wednesday December 24
- Thursday January 1 – paid on Wednesday December 31
- Friday January 2 – no change.
Benefit fraud graphic | GETTY
Here is a full breakdown of the state pension and other DWP payment date changes over Christmas and New Year:
- Wednesday December 24 – paid on Tuesday December 23
- Thursday December 25 – paid on Tuesday, December 23
- Friday December 26 – paid on Tuesday, December 23
- Thursday January 1 – paid on Wednesday December 31
- Friday January 2 (Scotland only) – paid on Wednesday December 31.
Here is a full breakdown of the HMRC payment date changes over Christmas and New Year:
- Payment due on Monday January 5 – paid into bank account on Tuesday January 6.
HMRC has previously stated there will be no changes to Child Benefit payments over the festive season.