Job centres will be closed over Christmas and the New Year, potentially impacting universal credit payments.
Across the UK, job centres and benefits helplines will be closed on 25 December and 1 January, with limited opening times on the surrounding days.
Some of these closures could potentially impact benefit payments although the government does make special measures for the festive period to ensure everything arrives on time.
The opening hours differ slightly across the different countries of the UK, so here Yahoo News has collected a list of the opening times over the festive period as well as who to contact if your benefit payments don’t arrive as expected.
When are job centres open in England, Wales and Scotland?
The UK’s 639 Job Centre Plus offices will close for parts of Christmas and the new year.
Job centres provide resources to help people find employment, and are also used for customers to discuss a claim they’ve made, seek advice, or to tell the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about a change in their circumstances.
The same festive closure times apply across England and Wales.
In Scotland, opening times for claimants differ, with helplines closed over 1 and 2 January.
Unlike its Welsh and English counterparts, Scotland will still have its job centres open on Christmas Eve.
When are universal credit helplines open?
The universal credit helpline can be used by benefit claimants whose payment has not been paid, has also had its opening hours confirmed.
However, the helpline is still contactable during certain times during the festive period on 0800 328 5644.
Take a look at our table below.
What if my universal credit payments haven’t arrived over the festive period?
If your universal credit payments fail to arrive during the helpline closures over Christmas and New Year, first check your online journal for messages or payment status updates, as this remains accessible 24/7 and is the primary contact method recommended by DWP.
If the DWP is not available, Citizens Advice’s Help to Claim service may be available. This is contactable in England on 0800 144 8444, in Wales, on 0800 241 220, and in Scotland on 0800 023 2581.
The helpline is available Monday to Friday 8am-6pm even on reduced holiday schedules. Their web chat is also available for urgent benefit queries.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that your payment dates could have also changed over the festive period, and could arrive earlier than expected.
The revised dates for universal credit payments and other benefits can be found below.
Unless your January payment date falls on the 1st or 2nd, universal credit payment dates will return to normal in January 2026.