The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that benefit payments will be affected by the four day Easter weekend this year. If you receive universal credit and other benefits, your payment dates will be different.
Easter is a something of a pain when it comes to banking. With no fixed date, it changes each year, meaning payments have to change with it. In 2024 Easter falls on the 31st March, with the bank holidays Good Friday on the 29 March and Easter Monday on 1 April.
Benefits which are typically paid on these fixed dates each month will be brought forward. See our list of payment dates below for full details.
Which benefits are affected?
Both DWP and HMRC payments will be changed due to the Easter bank holiday. Here’s a full list the affected benefits:
- Attendance allowance
- Carer’s allowance
- Child benefit
- Disability living allowance
- Employment and support allowance
- Income support
- Jobseeker’s allowance
- Pension credit
- Personal independence payment (PIP)
- State pension
- Tax credits
- Universal credit
What are DWP bank holiday payment dates – Easter 2024
Whenever a benefit payment falls on a bank holiday, that payment is always brought forward to the last full working day before the holiday. The payment dates for the Easter and May bank holidays are as follows:
- If your normal payment date is 29 March 2024, you’ll be paid on 28 March.
- If your normal payment date is 1 April 2024, you’ll be paid on 28 March.
- If your normal payment date is 6 May 2024, you’ll be paid on 3 May.
- If your normal payment date is 27 May 2024, you’ll be paid on 24 May.
The downside of this early is that there’s a longer wait until the next benefit payment so it’s important to budget carefully.
What time will the benefit be paid?
While benefits are automated the time they are released various from bank to bank. Some banks such as offer an early payment option, while other process it over night so it’s available the morning of the due date.
Banks where you can access your benefit early:
Monzo – after 4pm on the day before with its ‘Paid Early’ option, otherwise after 1am
Santander – between 9-10pm on the day before
Clydesdale, Yorkshire, Virgin – typically between 11:30pm on the day before to 12:30am on the due day.
Benefits are increasing
In addition to be paid early, some will also see their benefits increase slightly in the new tax year. During his Autumn statement, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt vowed to raise benefits by 6.7 per cent in line with inflation (as at September 2023). Furthermore, the state pension is increasing by even higher rate of 8.5%, inline with wage growth.
For the tax year 2024/25 Universal Credit standard allowances will increase as follows:
- From £292.11 to £311.68 per month for single people aged under 25
- From £368.74 to £393.45 per month for single people aged 25 and over
- From £458.51 to £489.23 per month for joint claimants both aged under 25
- From £578.82 to £617.60 per month for joint claimants both aged 25 and over
Pensions will increase to £221.20 a week for those who reached pension age on or after April 2016, and £169.50 per week for the basic State Pension.
Full details of the increases can be found on the Gov.uk website.