Overview
- Payments due on Thursday 1 January will be made on Wednesday 31 December under updated GOV.UK guidance.
- In Scotland, payments scheduled for Friday 2 January will also be paid on Wednesday 31 December because 2 January is a Scottish bank holiday.
- The changes apply to a wide range of DWP benefits, including Universal Credit, State Pension, Pension Credit, PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, ESA, Income Support and JSA.
- HMRC confirms no Child Benefit date changes for England and Wales, while some Scottish payments due Monday 5 January will be paid on Tuesday 6 January.
- Claimants should check for the earlier deposit and contact the paying office if a payment is missing, with some state pensioners receiving an early four‑week amount reported at up to £921.