Some people will need to make their benefit payment last longer
Department for Work & Pensions (Image: PA)
December can be a challenging month for many across the UK, as the cost of Christmas presents, food, and decorations can often burn a huge hole into pockets. The festive month is upon us, and millions of benefit claimants across the country will have their regular payment dates impacted as a result of Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and the New Year period.
There are now around 24 million people in the country claiming some combination of DWP-administered benefits, which include those claiming a state pension; this equates to around one in three people.
This year Christmas lands on a Thursday and Boxing Day will be on a Friday; both of these dates are bank holidays. New Year’s Day on Thursday, January 1, is also a bank holiday, which may lead to further payment disruption.
According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), if your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday, you’ll usually be paid on the working day before. This may be different for Child Benefit. Most often, DWP benefits are paid once a month, every four weeks, or every two weeks, depending on which benefit a person claims.
In 2025, like the previous year, there are eight bank holidays in England and Wales. If a bank holiday is on a weekend, a “substitute” weekday becomes a bank holiday, normally the following Monday. On a bank holiday, many businesses are closed, including benefit offices, job centres, and banks.
However, the change of payment dates means that money will need to last longer than in previous months due to it being paid earlier. If you had been expecting your benefits but they hadn’t arrived, you need to contact the Department of Work and Pensions on 0800 328 5644. They will, however, be closed on bank holidays but open on the days before and days after.
Anyone due a payment on Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day), should instead receive it on Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve). Benefit claimants due a payment on Friday, December 26 (Boxing Day) should also receive it on Christmas Eve.
Anyone due to receive a payment on Thursday, January 1 (New Year’s Day) should instead receive it on Wednesday, December 31 (New Year’s Eve).
The basic state pension is paid straight into bank accounts, similarly to how benefits are paid. It is usually paid every four weeks, with the exact day you receive it corresponding to the last two digits of your national insurance (NI) number. Here’s when you should be paid based on those numbers:
00 to 19: Monday20 to 39: Tuesday40 to 59: Wednesday60 to 79: Thursday80 to 99: Friday
The bank holiday payment date changes that apply to most benefits will also apply to state pension payments. While some benefits are impacted, most benefit payments will be going out as normal in December. These include:
Universal CreditState PensionPension CreditChild BenefitDisability living allowance (DLA)Personal independence payment (PIP)Attendance allowanceCarer’s allowanceEmployment support allowance (ESA)Income supportJobseeker’s allowance