If you receive Personal Independence Payments, you may be wondering when you will receive the cash in December.
This benefit from the Department for Work and Pensions is designed to help people with long-term physical disabilities and mental health conditions. There are two aspects to PIP - the daily living part, for people who need help with everyday tasks, and the mobility part, which helps people with mobility problems.
The daily living part is worth up to £92.40 per week and the mobility part can pay as much as £64.50 per week. PIP is paid every four weeks. However, this year's Christmas bank holidays may result in changes for some claimants.
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Christmas Day (December 25) is on a Sunday, and Boxing Day (December 26) is on a Monday. This means that the Christmas bank holidays have been shifted around.
The Boxing Day bank holiday will fall on December 26 as normal, but because Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, December 27 has instead been designated as a substitute bank holiday. Therefore, any claimants expecting to receive PIP payments on December 26 or 27 should instead receive them on the Friday before, December 23.
Likewise, the New Year bank holiday falls on Monday, January 2 - so anyone expecting PIP payments on that day should get them on Friday, December 30 . While the prospect of earlier PIP payments is likely to be welcome to many recipients struggling with the costs of living, it will mean they have to last for longer until the following month’s payments go in.
If your payments don’t arrive on the expected dates, you can call the DWP’s PIP helpline on 0800 121 4433. The helpline is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, but is closed at weekends and on bank holidays.
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