Thousands of households across the UK are set to receive their benefit payments earlier than usual this week, as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) adjusts its schedule for the Christmas bank holidays.
Which Payments Are Coming Early?
The change affects a wide range of support payments, including Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and the State Pension. The key factor is your usual payment date. If you are normally due a payment on Thursday 25th December (Christmas Day) or Friday 26th December (Boxing Day), your money should arrive in your account on Wednesday 24th December (Christmas Eve).
This shift occurs because the DWP does not process payments on bank holidays. Similarly, if your scheduled payment date is Thursday 1st January 2025, you can expect to receive it a day early, on Wednesday 31st December 2024.
Budgeting for a Longer Gap
While an early payment can provide welcome funds for the festive period, recipients need to plan carefully. Getting paid early means your next scheduled payment will be further away, so you will need to budget to make the money last for the extended period.
For example, a single claimant aged 25 or over receiving the standard allowance of £400.14 per month for Universal Credit will need to manage this sum over a longer stretch if paid on the 24th of December instead of the 25th or 26th.
What to Do If Your Payment Is Missing
If your benefit does not arrive when expected, even accounting for the early schedule, you should contact the relevant DWP office or your local JobCentre. This can be done online or by phone once they reopen. It is important to note that helplines and offices will be closed on the bank holidays themselves (25th, 26th December and 1st January), so contact will only be possible on the next working day.
Most benefits are paid by the DWP, but it's worth remembering that Tax Credits and Child Benefit are administered by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Child Benefit, typically paid on Mondays or Tuesdays, is not expected to be disrupted by the Christmas holidays.
Below is a guide to how some of the most common benefits are usually paid:
- Attendance Allowance - Usually every four weeks
- Carer’s Allowance - Weekly in advance or every four weeks
- Child Benefit - Usually every four weeks, or weekly for single parents or those on certain benefits
- Disability Living Allowance - Usually every four weeks
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - Usually every two weeks
- Income Support - Usually every two weeks
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) - Usually every two weeks
- Pension Credit - Usually every four weeks
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - Usually every four weeks
- State Pension - Usually every four weeks
- Tax credits - Every four weeks or weekly
- Universal Credit - Every month
