February 2024 payment dates for benefits, pensions and cost of living grant

If you’re a benefit recipient counting down the days until your next payment, you’re far from alone.

With Christmas debt and a long wait until payday, January is largely regarded as one of the most challenging months when it comes to budgeting.

And the cost of living crisis is not relenting anytime soon.

A new report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation reveals that six million of the poorest people in the UK would need to more than double their income to escape poverty.

Describing this as evidence of “social failure at scale”, the charity said that a sustained fall in poverty has not been seen in two decades and that the number of people considered to be living in very deep poverty has risen in that period.

When will my benefits be paid in February 2024?

Make a note of the date your benefits or state pension payments are due to arrive in your bank account (Photo: Dilok Klaisataporn/Getty)

The usual benefits and pensions payments will be going out as normal in February.

These include:

Universal credit – usually paid every month

State pension – usually paid every four weeks

Pension credit – usually paid every four weeks

Disability living allowance – usually paid every four weeks

Personal independence payment (PIP) – usually paid every four weeks

Attendance allowance – usually paid every four weeks

Carer’s allowance – weekly in advance or every four weeks

Employment support allowance – usually paid every two weeks

Income support – usually paid every two weeks

Jobseeker’s allowance – usually paid every two weeks

Benefits are usually paid straight into your bank, building society or credit union account.

If your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday you’ll usually be paid on the working day before.

For more information on how and when state benefits are paid, please visit the government’s website.

When will my pension be paid in February?

The basic state pension is usually paid every four weeks (Photo: 10’000 Hours/Getty)

The basic state pension is usually paid every four weeks into an account of your choice.

The day your pension is paid depends on the last two digits of your national insurance (NI) number.

Last two digits of your NI number

00 to 19: day your state pension gets paid – Monday

20 to 39: day your state pension gets paid – Tuesday

40 to 59: day your state pension gets paid – Wednesday

60 to 79: day your state pension gets paid – Thursday

80 to 99: day your state pension gets paid – Friday

When will the cost of living payment be paid in February?

In a bid to boost the income of those struggling with basic living costs, the Government has been issuing a cost of living payment to claimants of certain benefits.

In total, eligible people will receive £900, which is being paid in three instalments.

The first payment of £301 was made between April and May 2023, while the second was made in November 2023.

A third and final instalment of £299 will be paid to eligible households between 6 and 22 February 2024.

It is tax-free, will not count towards the benefit cap, and does not have any impact on existing benefit awards.

You do not need to apply for the payment. If you are eligible, you should receive it automatically.

The grant is being paid to people who receive the following benefits:

• Universal credit;
• Income-based jobseeker’s allowance;
• Income-related employment and support allowance;
• Income support;
• Pension credit;
• Working tax credit;
• Child tax credit.

After this final instalment, no further cost of living payments are currently scheduled.