This weekend brings the second bank holiday in May offering an extra day’s holiday from work on Monday for many but as a public holiday it also means changes to the benefit system on that day.
Monday 27 May is the spring bank holiday in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced all Jobcentre Plus offices and phone lines will be closed that day, as will HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Social Security Scotland and high street banks.
This means some payment days will need to be altered for benefits and the state pension, for one week only.
However, the amount claimants are paid will not change.
Payment days for most benefits, aside from the state pensions, are dependent on the application and approval date.
For claimants who receive the state pensions or benefits on Mondays usually, payments will be brought forward so they get their money several days early.
We take a look at the detail.
When will benefits be paid over the May bank holiday?
Benefits are usually paid straight into a claimant’s bank, building society or credit union account.
When a payment date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, then it is usually paid on the working day before.
This bank holiday the DWP has said benefits payments due on the bank holiday Monday 27 May will be paid three days early on Friday 24 May.
Payment dates will only change to accommodate bank holidays and will return to normal times for future payments. The amount being paid does not alter.
Here is the schedule for benefit payments:
- Attendance Allowance – usually every four weeks
- Carer’s Allowance – weekly in advance or every four weeks
- Child Benefit – usually every four weeks or weekly for single parents
- Disability Living Allowance – usually every four weeks
- Employment and Support Allowance – usually every two weeks
- Income Support – usually every two weeks
- Jobseeker’s Allowance – usually every two weeks
- Maternity Allowance – every two or four weeks
- Pension Credit – usually every four weeks
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – usually every four weeks
- Tax Credits – every four weeks or weekly
- Universal Credit – every month
If the benefit payment is not made in the time frame expected, claimants should check the date on the award notice and bank account.
If the date is correct but the money has failed to arrive into the account, claimants can call the appropriate helpline found on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) website here.
When will pensions be paid over the May bank holiday?
The basic state pension is usually paid every four weeks directly into a claimant’s chosen bank, building society or credit union account.
The day it is paid in depends on the last two digits of a claimant’s national insurance number.
This is how national insurance numbers correspond to days of payment:
- 00 to 19: day your state pension gets paid – Monday
- 20 to 39: day your state pension gets paid – Tuesday
- 40 to 59: day your state pension gets paid – Wednesday
- 60 to 79: day your state pension gets paid – Thursday
- 80 to 99: day your state pension gets paid – Friday
Those whose state pension payment is due on the bank holiday Monday 27 May, will be paid on the previous working day which is Friday 24 May.
This change will happen automatically. If there is a problem with the payments, a helpline is available on the DWP website here.