THOUSANDS of households on benefits including Universal Credit will be paid earlier than usual today.
Benefits are paid on the first working day before any bank holiday dates, including at Christmas.
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So if your payment would ordinarily land in your account on the 23, 24, 25 or 26 of the month, it should be with you today.
Meanwhile, anyone expecting to paid on December 30, 31 or January 1, will receive their payment on December 29.
If you claim any of the following benefits you could be affected:
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Child Benefit
- Disability Living Allowance
- Income Support
- Jobseekers Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Personal Independence Payment
- State Pension
- Tax credits (such as Working Tax Credit)
- Universal Credit
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The official Government guidance states: “Benefits are usually paid straight into your bank, building society or credit union account.
“If your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday you’ll usually be paid on the working day before.
“This may be different for tax credits and Child Benefit.”
Bear in mind that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will make most of the payments for the above benefits.
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However, HMRC is responsible for paying out tax credits.
Will the amount I receive change?
The simple answer is no.
That’s unless you’ve had a change of circumstances which impacts how much you are due.
If you are getting paid early today, remember you will need to make any money last as your next payment date will be a longer wait than usual.
If you are expecting a payment and it’s not made then make sure you double-check the date you are usually paid and contact your bank.
Otherwise, you will need to contact the DWP or HMRC.
You can also submit a complaint to both Government departments over any unpaid benefits or delays.
What other help can I get this winter?
Thousands of households are due up to £50 in free cash after cold weather payments were triggered in hundreds of postcodes.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) hands out the free cash to help support hard-up Brits during cold spells.
And eligible households get the cash paid directly into their bank accounts within 14 days.
The cold weather payments are made in locations where residents experience continuous below-zero weather.
Households can get £25 during each seven-day period of low temperatures from now until March 31.
That means you can get more if there is a 14-day, or longer, period of sustained cold weather.
Meanwhile, millions are due up to £600 in winter fuel payments.
You should have received yours by January 26, 2024, at the latest.
If you haven’t got your payment by then, you need to call the office that pays your benefits.
Those details can be found in the letters they have sent you.
And if you’re found to be ineligible for the winter fuel payment but want to challenge that decision, there’s a Government form you can fill in.
Additional support is also offered by councils in England through the Household Support Fund.
The latest round of funding is worth £842million and has been distributed among local authorities.
That means what you are entitled to varies depending on where you live, however in most cases help is offered to those on benefits or a low income.
You should contact your local council to see what help is available.
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You can find your local authority by using the Government’s online locator tool.
