Those in receipt of benefits will not be paid any later than expected over the Christmas and New Year's period, the DfC has confirmed.
With Christmas Eve and Christmas Day falling over a weekend this year, the department has given reassurances that this will have no effect on payment dates.
In a statement to Belfast Live, a DfC spokesperson said: “If a payment is due on 26, 27, 28 December 2022 or 2 January 2023, customers will still be paid by that date. All benefits operate on different payment systems but customers will not receive their payment later than the day it would normally be due.
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"Information on payment dates will be published, as normal, on the Department’s social media platforms."
Meanwhile, a drop in temperature across parts of Northern Ireland has triggered the first of this winter’s Cold Weather Payments.
Cold Weather Payments will be paid to people who qualify for the payment in postcode areas covered by the Met Office’s Katesbridge weather station. Only those qualifying customers living in these postcode areas will receive the £25 payment.
Payments will be made automatically and there is no need to make a claim. Customers can expect to receive their payment by Wednesday 14 December 2022.
The Cold Weather Payment is available when the average temperature is recorded or is forecast to be zero degrees centigrade or below, for a period of seven consecutive days.
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