Individuals receiving payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) may experience changes in their payment dates this month due to the upcoming bank holiday.
The bank holiday on Monday, August 26, will affect England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. As a result, HMRC has confirmed that Child Benefit and Tax Credits scheduled for that date will instead be paid on Friday, August 23.
It is expected that the DWP will follow suit with similar adjustments for State Pension and other benefits such as Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). The DWP’s official guidance notes: “Universal Credit is paid once a month, usually into your bank, building society or credit union account.”
The guidance continues, explaining that the payment can cover housing costs which should be paid to the landlord. For those unable to open an account, the guidance advises contacting the Universal Credit helpline for alternative payment arrangements.
Furthermore, the DWP states: “After the first payment, you’ll be paid on the same date of every month. If your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday, you’ll be paid on the working day before. You can see your monthly statement in your online account. This tells you how much Universal Credit you’re going to get.”, reports the Manchester Evening News.
“You can ask to have your Universal Credit paid differently if you need help managing a single monthly payment. This is called an Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA).”
Why do bank holidays affect my benefit payments?
Payments such as State Pension and DWP benefits are generally timed to coincide with working days when offices and phone lines are operational. Should there be recognised bank holidays that cause closures of these communication avenues, payments will tend to be processed on the first working day before the bank holiday.
Some of the payments affected include:
- Universal Credit
- Child benefit
- Personal Independence Payment
- Carer’s Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Attendance Allowance
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income support
- Pension Credit
- State Pension
- Pension credit
- Tax credits