People on Universal Credit are set to see a change to their payments this week thanks to next week’s Bank Holiday Monday.
Normally, Universal Credit is paid once a month, with your exact benefits date changing depending on your circumstances such as when you claimed and your National Insurance number. State pensions, for example, are paid on different days of the week depending on what your National Insurance number ends in.
This Friday, people on Universal Credit will receive their payments several days early thanks to the Bank Holiday Monday on May 26. Those who were due to receive a Universal Credit payment on Monday will now be paid three days early, on Friday, May 23 instead, by the Department of Work and Pensions.
The payment normally hits bank accounts at midnight or just after midnight on the day it’s paid, so should arrive at midnight on Friday (00.01am) or thereabouts.
Other benefits may also be paid early including state pensions, Pension Credit, Child Benefit, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments (PIP), Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Universal Credit, as the name suggests, is a catch-all benefit for various types of support and can be paid to people to top up their in-work income as well as to those who have no income.
To claim, you must be living in the UK, be over 18, be under state pension age and have less than £16,000 in savings.
This year, Universal Credit was increased by 1.7% for inflation, with the rate varying between £316.98 and £628.10 depending on whether you’re over 25 or live with a partner.
Other additions include childcare costs, limited capacity for work and disability related benefits which can push the total amount much higher.