DWP making one-off change to Universal Credit, PIP, Attendance Allowance payments

The Department for Work and Pensions has announced a one-off change to Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment and Jobseekers Allowance benefits in December. The DWP has been forced to amend payment dates in the wake of the Christmas Bank Holidays.

The shake up will be pushed through because the DWP and HMRC do not pay benefits or state pensions on bank holidays. The next bank holiday in England and Wales is 25 December Christmas Day. This means if you are supposed to get your benefits or state pension on these dates, then you will receive them earlier.

The DWP and HMRC will likely pay you on the final working day before Christmas which this year will be Tuesday, December 24 - so on Christmas Eve. New Year's Day on January 1 - which falls on a Wednesday this year - is also classed as a bank holiday.

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If you are due for a benefit payment on January 1, then you will receive this payment a day earlier on December 31. Benefits which could be impacted by December's bank holidays include Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance and Disability Living Allowance.

Income support, Jobseekers allowance, Pension credit, Personal independence payments (PIP), State pension, Universal Credit, Child benefit (paid by HMRC) and Tax credits (paid by HMRC) are also impacted by the benefits date change.

The amount you get will also remain the same, and it will also be paid into the same account in which you normally receive your benefit payment. If your benefit or state pension payment is set to be paid on any other day of the month will not be affected and will be paid as usual.

Attendance Allowance is paid usually every four weeks, Carer’s Allowance is paid weekly in advance or every four weeks, Child Benefit is usually every four weeks, or weekly if you’re a single parent or you or your partner get certain benefits, while Disability Living Allowance is sually every four weeks.

Employment and Support Allowancem Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance are usually every two weeks while Pension Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), State Pension and Tax Credits are monthly.