Benefit payments scheduled for Friday, April 3 (Good Friday) or Monday, April 6 (Easter Monday) will be paid on Thursday, April 2 instead, according to multiple reports. Similarly, State Pension payments due on Monday, May 4 or Monday, May 25 will be paid on Friday, May 1 instead, multiple reports indicate. The early payments in April and May will create a longer gap until the next regular payment in June, requiring funds to stretch further, according to major media. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) states that if a benefit payment is due on a weekend or bank holiday, it is usually paid on the working day before, with a spokesperson confirming that benefits are typically paid into accounts on the working day before if the due date falls on a weekend or bank holiday.
State Pension rates increased by 4.8% starting April 6, raising the new State Pension from £230.25 to £241.30 per week and the basic State Pension from £176.45 to £184.90 per week, according to multiple reports. Child Benefit rates will increase by 3.8% from April 6, raising the rate for the eldest or only child to £27.05 per week, multiple reports indicate. The State Pension is usually paid every four weeks, with the payment day corresponding to the last two digits of the National Insurance number, according to multiple reports. Child Benefit is usually paid every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday, multiple reports indicate, with HMRC advising that payment dates differ if due on a bank holiday.
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.
The DWP aims to complete migration of all legacy benefits to Universal Credit by the end of March 2026, according to major media. It is unclear how many benefit recipients are affected by the payment date changes in April and May, or what specific measures are being taken to help them manage the longer gap between payments in June after the early April and May payments. The exact timeline for the DWP's migration of legacy benefits to Universal Credit, and how many people have been migrated so far, also remains unspecified.
Around 24 million people in the UK claim some combination of DWP-administered benefits, including state pension recipients, according to major media. £24 billion worth of benefits goes unclaimed every year in the UK, based on Policy in Practice research reported by major media. 63% of Brits have had to cut back on essentials due to the cost of living, according to Cost of Living Action group analysis reported by major media. 55% of households in poverty contain at least one working person, based on Resolution Foundation think tank research reported by major media. What specific support or advice is available for households struggling to budget due to the altered payment schedules is not detailed in the available information.
Inflation in the UK dropped to 3% in January, a 10-month low, according to major media. How the increased State Pension and Child Benefit rates will impact household finances in real terms, considering ongoing inflation and cost of living pressures, remains to be seen.