Why haven’t my benefits been paid today? DWP rules for Universal Credit and more explained

Benefits should have been paid earlier than usual

Thousands of people may not have been paid their benefits as expected today (May 6) due to the early May bank holiday.

This can include those receiving payments such as Universal Credit, Child Benefit or Personal Independence Payment (PIP). This is because benefits aren’t paid as normal when there is a bank holiday – instead, you should have been paid on the previous working day.

If you were expecting a benefit payment today, you should check your bank account to see if you were paid on Friday (May 3) instead. Being paid earlier may sound like a good thing, but it does mean you will have to make your money last longer because you’ll have a longer wait until your next payment.

There are two bank holidays in May, with the second bank holiday due to fall on Monday, May 27. Any benefit payments scheduled to happen on this day will likely be paid the previous working Friday, so on May 24.

Have you had trouble receiving benefit payments? Let us know: [email protected]

When are benefits normally paid?

How often you get paid depends on what type of benefit you claim. For example, you’ll get paid Universal Credit on the same day each month, while Tax Credits are typically paid every four weeks or weekly.

Child Benefit is usually every four weeks on a Monday or Tuesday – so you’d only be affected by one of the bank holiday days over Easter. See the full list of how often certain benefits are paid below:

Attendance Allowance – Usually every four weeks

Carer’s Allowance – Weekly in advance or every four weeks

Child Benefit – Usually every four weeks, or weekly if you’re a single parent or you or your partner get certain benefits

Disability Living Allowance – Usually every four weeks

Employment and Support Allowance – Usually every two weeks

Income Support – Usually every two weeks

Jobseeker’s Allowance – Usually every two weeks

Pension Credit – Usually every four weeks

Personal Independence Payment – Usually every four weeks

State Pension – Usually every four weeks

Tax credits – Every four weeks or weekly

Universal Credit – Every month

What if I don’t get paid?

If you don’t get your benefit payment when you expected to, first check double-check the date on your award notice and your bank account. If you’ve got the right date, and the money isn’t there, you should contact the relevant helpline. Do keep in mind these are unlikely to be open on bank holidays.

Universal Credit:

Call for free: 0800 328 9344

Welsh speaking: 0800 012 1888

Textphone: 0800 328 1344

Child benefit:

Call for free: 0300 200 3100

Outside UK: +44 161 210 3086

Tax credits:

Call HMRC for free: 0345 300 3900

From outside the UK: +44 2890 538 192

Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and Employment and Support Allowance:

Call for free: 0800 169 0310

Textphone: 0800 169 0314

Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0310