CHRISTMAS means you will see a change in how you’re paid the state pension this week.
Your National Insurance number dictates what day you receive your pension money on.
The day your state pension is paid usually depends on the last two digits of this identification number.
If those digits are between 00 and 19, the day your state pension is paid is on a Monday.
It’s Tuesday if they are between 20 and 39, and Wednesday if the digits are between 40 and 59.
60 to 79 are paid on a Thursday and numbers 80 to 99 are usually paid on Fridays.
So this means that with Boxing Day falling on Monday and a bank holiday falling on a Tuesday, anyone expecting to receive a payment then, won’t see any money on the day.
But to save anyone from going cashless over the holiday, the government are simply bringing the payment day forward a few days.
Payments cannot be processed on Boxing Day, or December 27 ,because the banks are closed for the holiday.
As a result, the DWP has said pensioners can expect to instead be paid today, Friday, December 23.
The reason for the change is because it is the last working day before the Christmas weekend.
If your National Insurance number ends in digits between 00 to 19 then you are likely to be affected by this change.
Regardless of the changes in date you won’t have to take any action in order to receive the early payment.
This is because it is something that the DWP will action automatically.
Payments should be placed straight into your bank, building society or credit union account and you won’t have to worry about changing any details to make sure you get what you’re owed.
And if your payment date falls on a normal day that’s not a bank holiday, then you’ll get your payment as normal.
What benefits are paid early this week because of Christmas?
The DWP has shared the full list of benefits that will be paid early this month.
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Child Benefit
- Disability Living Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Pension Credit
- Personal Independence Payment
- State Pension
- Tax Credits (such as Working Tax Credit)
- Universal Credit
Will my benefit payment amount change?
The amount you get paid shouldn’t change.
It will be the same as previous months, unless you’ve had a change of circumstances that affects how much you get at the same time.
You don’t need to do anything if your usual date for getting the state pension falls on a bank holiday.
Don’t forget that if you get paid early then you’ll have to make the money you get go further as you’ll have extra days to wait until your next payment date.
Make sure you factor this into your budget.
If your money is not paid on time, then you should double check the date you get paid normally and contact your bank.
Failing that, you should contact the DWP.
You can also submit a complaint to the DWP over any unpaid benefits.
In other news, households can get up to £400 in free cash directly into their accounts by switching banks this winter.
Plus, we reveal the 800 postcodes in line for £50 in cold weather payments following the recent cold snap.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]
