The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has officially announced changes to the payment schedule for State Pensions and a range of benefits over the upcoming festive period. These adjustments are necessary due to the bank holidays that will see government offices and phone lines closed.
Which Benefits Are Affected by the Festive Schedule?
The changes will impact claimants expecting payments on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day. A wide array of DWP-administered support is included in this schedule shift. The benefits affected are:
- Universal Credit
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
Officials have stated that payments are moved to ensure they are processed on a working day, allowing claimants access to support services if needed.
Revised DWP Payment Dates for Christmas and New Year
For those receiving Universal Credit, the adjustments are as follows. Payments originally due on Thursday, December 25 and Friday, December 26 will both be paid on Wednesday, December 24. There is no change for payments scheduled for Wednesday, December 24.
Over the New Year period, a Universal Credit payment due on Thursday, January 1 will be issued on Wednesday, December 31. Payments due on Friday, January 2 will arrive as normal.
State Pension and Other Benefit Payment Changes
The schedule for State Pension and the other listed DWP benefits follows a similar pattern but with an earlier adjustment for Christmas. Payments due on Wednesday, December 24, Thursday, December 25, and Friday, December 26 will all be made on Tuesday, December 23.
For New Year, a payment due on Thursday, January 1 will be sent out on Wednesday, December 31. All other dates remain unaffected.
HMRC Confirms No Change to Child Benefit Dates
Separately, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has confirmed that there will be no alterations to Child Benefit payment dates this festive season. This is because Christmas Day falls on a Thursday and Boxing Day on a Friday, while Child Benefit is typically only paid on Mondays and Tuesdays.
It is important to note that while January 1 is a bank holiday across England, Scotland, and Wales, January 2 is only an official bank holiday in Scotland. The DWP advises all claimants to check the full and official details of payment date changes on the GOV.UK website.
