Full list of 12 benefits being paid early next week – will your payment date change?
THOUSANDS of households on benefits, including Universal Credit, will be paid earlier than usual next week.
With the Early May Bank Holiday approaching on Monday, May 6, it’s vital to understand how it will affect your benefits payment dates.
Benefits are usually paid on the first working day before any bank holiday dates if your usual payment date lands on one.
Your usual payment date depends on when you first applied for the support – there is no set day for everyone.
For example, most people on Universal Credit receive their first payment seven days after the end of their initial assessment period.
If that date falls on the bank holiday, you’ll get the money on the previous working day instead.
That means you won’t be left waiting for cash over the long weekend.
As well as Universal Credit, 11 other benefits will also be affected by the bank holiday.
This means you might see the cash hit your bank account earlier on Friday, May 3.
They are as follows:
- Attendance allowance
- Carer’s allowance
- Child benefit
- Disability living allowance
- Employment and support allowance
- Income support
- Jobseeker’s allowance
- Pension credit
- Personal independence payment
- State pension
- Tax credits (such as Working Tax Credit)
Income Support, jobseekers’s allowance and pension credit payments usually arrive every two weeks while the rest arrive every four weeks.
Keep in mind there’s another bank holiday later in May to watch out for.
You should contact DWP directly if you don’t receive your benefit payment one working day before the bank holiday.
You can also submit a complaint to them to get a problem sorted if your payment is wrong.
Universal Credit
HERE'S everything to know about Universal Credit:
- What is Universal Credit? Everything you need to know including how to apply
- Universal Credit calculator: How much can I claim and how do I apply?
- Universal Credit login: How do I sign in to my online account?
- How much can I earn before Universal Credit is reduced and do I get a work allowance?
- What is a Universal Credit advance payment? How to apply and pay it back
- Are Universal Credit payments going up and how much more will I get?
- How to claim Universal Credit if you’re self-employed
- How many hours can I work on Universal Credit and will my payment be reduced?
- What is a Universal Credit budgeting advance and how much could I get?
- What is the Universal Credit housing element and how much of your rent does it pay?
Will my benefit payment amount change?
No, the amount you’re due should remain the same.
It will only be different if you’ve had a change in circumstances since your last payment, which you’ll need to alert the DWP of.
You don’t need to do anything if your usual date for getting the state pension falls on a bank holiday.
Don’t forget that if you get paid early, then you’ll have to make the money you get go further, as you’ll have extra days to wait until your next payment date.
Make sure you factor this into your budget.
If your money is not paid on time, then you should double-check the date you get paid normally and contact your bank.
Failing that, you should contact the DWP.
Other Bank Holiday payment dates
There are five more this year after the upcoming bank holiday, which could impact when you receive your benefits.
Here’s when the DWP or HMRC will make your payments if you’re expecting them on a public holiday:
- May 6 – payments will be made on May 3 instead
- May 27 – payments will be made on May 24 instead
- August 26 – payments will be made on August 23 instead
- December 25 and 26 – payments will be made on December 24 instead
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.