THOUSANDS can expect to see their benefit payments land earlier than usual today.
Households on Universal Credit, child benefit and tax credits are among those affected.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) usually needs to shuffle payment dates around the holiday season.
This means that thousands of benefit payments will be affected to accommodate the bank holidays over Christmas and New Year.
So, if your payment date lands on a bank holiday, you can expect to receive it earlier.
You should receive your money the first working day before the date you are supposed to be paid.
Claimants who were due to be paid on December 25, 26 and 27, had their payments arrive early on December 24 last week.
However, the New Year bank holiday will also affect payments.
So, if you are due to be paid tomorrow (January 1), the cash will land in your account today (December 31).
Those living in Scotland who are due payments for all legacy benefits on January 2 will also be paid today.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC have confirmed the following benefits will be affected:
The amount you get paid will not 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 expect a payment not paid on time, 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.
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.
