THOUSANDS can expect to see their benefit payments land in bank accounts earlier than usual this week.
Those on a host of benefits are affected, including Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Tax Credits.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) issues payments to people earlier if their usual payment date lands on a bank holiday.
Payments are made the first working day before any bank holidays.
That means those on certain benefits expecting to be paid on Christmas Day or Boxing Day will get their cash tomorrow instead.
The New Year Bank Holiday will also affect when you are paid.
If you are due to be paid on January 1, the cash will land in your account on December 31 instead.
The DWP has confirmed the following benefits will be paid on Christmas Eve if they usually hit your account on the 25 or 26 of the month.
Anyone who is paid Universal Credit on the 27 of each month will receive theirs on December 27.
However, if you get any of the other above benefits and are usually paid on the 27 of each month, it will be paid on Christmas Eve.
Tax Credits, paid by HMRC instead of the DWP, will also be paid early to some over the festive period.
Anyone who usually gets a payment on 25, 26 or 27 of each month will be paid tomorrow.
Anyone who gets paid on 1 or 2 of each month will be paid on December 31.
Anyone on Child Benefit who is usually paid on 30 of each month will instead see their payments land in accounts December 31.
The amount of benefits you get paid over the next week won’t change.
It will be the same as the previous month unless you have had a change of circumstances that has affected how much you are due.
Remember that if you get paid early, you must make that money last, as you will have to wait extra days until your next payment date.
If you are expecting an early payment and don’t get it, double-check the date you are usually paid and contact your bank.
Should you need further help, you must contact the DWP.
You can also file a complaint with the DWP regarding any unpaid benefits.
You can go to www.gov.uk/how-to-have-your-benefits-paid for more information.
Thousands of households on old-style legacy benefits are being moved to Universal Credit via Managed Migration.
The government is transitioning two million people to Universal Credit or Pension Credit.
The vast majority will be moved by April 2025.
The process started being rolled out in May last year after a successful pilot in July 2019.
Households are being contacted via letters telling them how to move from their old benefit to Universal Credit.
Once you receive a letter, you have three months to move over, or you could lose your current benefits.
You can read more about the process and who is impacted here.
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.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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