Benefits such as Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are being paid early due to the August bank holiday, which falls on Monday, August 25
Thousands of people claiming benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or HMRC will receive an unexpected payment this week.
Welfare payments such as Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are being paid early due to the August bank holiday, which falls on Monday, August 25.
If you are due a benefit payment on this date, you will likely be paid this Friday, August 22 instead. This is because benefit payments are typically are not sent on bank holidays.
But if you do get paid earlier, you will have to make your money last longer as you’ll have a longer wait until your next payment. It comes as DWP confirms new Winter Fuel Payment deadline with pensioners urged to act now.
When are DWP and HMRC benefits normally paid?
How often you get paid depends on what type of benefit you claim. For example, you’ll get paid Universal Credit on the same day each month, while Tax Credits are typically paid by HMRC every four weeks or weekly. Child Benefit is usually every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday – so you’d only be affected by one of the bank holiday days over Easter. See the full list of how often certain benefits are paid below:
- Attendance Allowance – Usually every four weeks
- Carer’s Allowance – Weekly in advance or every four weeks
- Child Benefit – Usually every four weeks, or weekly if you’re a single parent or you or your partner get certain benefits
- Disability Living Allowance – Usually every four weeks
- Employment and Support Allowance – Usually every two weeks
- Income Support – Usually every two weeks
- Jobseeker’s Allowance – Usually every two weeks
- Pension Credit – Usually every four weeks
- Personal Independence Payment – Usually every four weeks
- State Pension – Usually every four weeks
- Tax credits – Every four weeks or weekly
- Universal Credit – Every month
What if I don’t get paid?
If you don’t get your benefit payment when you expected to, first check double-check the date on your award notice and your bank account. If you’ve got the right date, and the money isn’t there, you should contact the relevant helpline. Do keep in mind these are unlikely to be open on bank holidays.
Universal Credit:
- Call for free: 0800 328 9344
- Welsh speaking: 0800 012 1888
- Textphone: 0800 328 1344
Child benefit:
- Call for free: 0300 200 3100
- Outside UK: +44 161 210 3086
Tax credits:
- Call HMRC for free: 0345 300 3900
- From outside the UK: +44 2890 538 192
Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and Employment and Support Allowance:
- Call for free: 0800 169 0310
- Textphone: 0800 169 0314
- Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0310