People who receive money from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) or HMRC may see their payment dates altered in May
For some claimants, the date they get their money will be different than usual as a result of the May bank holiday weekend.
Those who claim benefits, pensions, allowances and credits may be affected, as reported by Birmingham Live.
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Anybody whose payments are due on a Monday, or on the second day of each month, will find that their money will arrive into their accounts on a different day.
The good news for those who have plans over the holiday weekend is that the money should be deposited earlier than usual, rather than later.
However, as a result, you will have to wait longer than you normally would for your next payment date after that.
Benefit payment dates over Early May Bank Holiday
Anybody who is due to receive payments on Saturday, April 30, Sunday, May 1, or Monday, May 2 should instead receive their money on Friday, April 29 instead.
While most benefits are never scheduled to be paid on a weekend, some are fixed to certain dates rather than days of the week.
Universal Credit
People who claim Universal Credit will be aware that it is paid on a certain date each month that is specific to each claimant and is dependent on when their first payment was made.
If this date happens to fall on the 30th, 1st or 2nd, their money will instead be transferred on April 29.
Since the monthly rates increased starting April 11, some claimants previous payments will have been calculated on the old 2021/2022 payment rates.
These people will now be moved onto the increased 2022/2023 rates for any subsequent amounts — so the April 29 payments will be their first on the new rates.
The new payment rates are:
- Single under 25: £265.31 (from £257.33)
- Single 25 or over: £334.91 (from £324.84)
- Joint claimants both under 25: £416.45 (from £403.93)
- Joint claimants, one or both 25 or over: £525.72 (from £509.91)
PIP, ESA, JSA, Income Support
These benefits will never be paid on a weekend, but if you are due to receive any of them on Monday, it will be transferred on April 29 instead of May 2.
The new PIP rates are:
Daily Living Component
- Enhanced: £92.40 (from £89.60)
- Standard: £61.85 (from £60.00)
Mobility Component
- Enhanced: £64.50 (from £62.55)
- Standard: £24.45 (from £23.70)
Those are given as weekly rates whereas PIP is actually paid once a month.
Child Benefit
Ordinarily, Child Benefit is paid every four weeks on either a Monday or a Tuesday — though it may be paid each week if you are a single parent or if you or your partner claims other benefits.
If your Child Benefit for May was due to arrive on May 2, it will instead be paid on April 29
The new weekly rates of the benefit, which is handled by HM Revenue and Customs rather than the DWP, are:
- Eldest or only child - £21.80 per week (from £21.15)
- Other children - £14.45 per week (from £14)
State Pension
The State Pensions is paid every four weeks, though the exact date varies.
People whose last two National Insurance digits end in the range 00 to 19 usually get their money on a Monday, those with a NI number from 20 to 39 as the last two digits see it in their accounts on a Tuesday, and anyone whose NI number ends with a number from 40 to 59 receive their money on Wednesdays.
Meanwhile, if your NI code ends with a number from 60 to 79, you'll typically get your pension on a Thursday, and if it's somewhere from 80 to 99, the pay date is generally a Friday.
So, those whose NI number ends with a number between 00 and 19 will be affected by the bank holiday, and will get their money on April 29 instead of May 2.
The full rate of the New State Pension has increased from £179.60 to £185.15 a week. Over a year, based on 52 weeks, that's a rise from £9,339.20 to £9,627.80.
The full Basic State Pension is going up from £137.60 to £141.85. Over a year, that's a rise from £7,155.20 to £7,376.20. This is the old version of the State Pension that existed before April 2016. The majority of pensioners - 10.3 million of the total of 12.5 million drawing a State Pension - get this version.
Tax Credits
Tax credits such as Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit are paid every week or every four weeks. They are handled by HM Revenue and Customs and aren't arranged to fall on a weekend. But if yours would normally be paid on a Monday, that will change this weekend to April 29 instead.
The second May bank holiday normally falls on the last Monday in the month. But this year, it is being pushed back so workers have an extra-long break at the start of June to mark the Queen's 70th year on the throne.
The bank holiday dates will be Thursday, June 2 (replacement Spring Bank Holiday) and Friday, June 3 (for the Queen's Jubilee).
If you are due to receive benefit payments on these days, you will likely be paid early on Wednesday, June 1, instead.
