The DWP has announced when millions of benefits claimants will get their money over the Christmas period. The cost of living crisis has left many households struggling to afford their bills and led the government to roll out extra financial support for those hardest hit.
Millions of people received a £326 cost of living payment in July and £150 from their local council earlier this year. People on means-tested benefits are set to get £324 into their bank accounts in a few weeks while there is also extra help in the form of a discount on energy bills over six months. You can read all the financial support available between now and Christmas here.
And with Christmas fast approaching many will be wondering when they'll receive their benefits over the festive period. The way Christmas falls this year will mean a slight change to when you get your money so here's everything you need to know about when you'll get your benefits over Christmas.
Read more: All the heating bills discounts this winter, who gets them, and when they're paid
There will be a four-day Christmas weekend this year starting on Saturday, December 24, and finishing on Tuesday, December 27, which is a bank holiday in place of Christmas Day which falls on a Sunday. In the case of weekends and bank holidays, benefits are usually paid on the nearest working day beforehand.
Universal credit payments are fixed to the same date each month but any amounts normally due on December 24, 25, 26, or 27 should instead go in on Friday, December 23. So you'll have the money in time for Christmas but will have to make it last right through until your usual payment date in January.
Other benefits are tied to a specific weekday rather than a date. Because of the festive bank holidays any that you would normally expect to get on the Monday or Tuesday after Christmas will instead arrive on Friday, December 23. That includes child benefit which is normally paid by HMRC every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday and any state pension payments usually deposited on those days of the week – that applies to pensioners whose National Insurance number has 00 to 19 (Monday) or 20 to 39 (Tuesday) as the last two digits.
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