Benefits will be paid earlier at Christmas

THE Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed the Universal Credit payment dates over the Christmas break.

Normally, claimants get their payments every month and, if a payment date falls on a public holiday, including at Christmas, then the money will be paid earlier.

This year, Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and, naturally, Boxing Day on Sunday.

As a result of the two big days being at the weekend, Monday, December 27, and Tuesday, December 28, will both be official bank holidays this year.

According to the government’s website, anyone who usually receives their UC payment on those dates will get their money on the Friday before

Christmas Day, which this year doubles as Christmas Eve.

The payment dates will be as follows:

Payments expected on both December 27 and 28 will be made on Christmas Eve;

Payments on December 28 will also be on Christmas Eve;

Payments on January 3 will be on New Year’s Eve.

It has been stressed that the amount that people receive and how they are paid should remain the same, which also means that future payments should not affected.

But, receiving the payment early does mean, similar to receiving wages, that the time until the next payment will be further away so the money will have to last that little bit longer.