The upcoming Easter Weekend gives millions of Britons a chance to enjoy two extra days off work with Bank Holidays on Good Friday (April 3) and Easter Monday (April 6). But it also means benefits payments can’t be paid on the days they normally would with Government offices and banks closed and unable to faciliate transfers.
To get around this, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), and Social Security Scotland shift the payment forward in these situations to ensure that benefit recipients aren’t left without support on time. This year payments dates that would otherwise fall on Good Friday (April 3) or bank holiday Monday (April) will instead be issued on Thursday, April 2.
DWP has also confirmed that Jobcentre Plus offices and phone lines won’t be operating on either Friday, April 3 or Monday, April 6, reopening on Tuesday, April 7, The Daily Record reports.
Upcoming payments that don’t fall on Friday or Monday will be transferred to accounts as normal.
Benefits affected by the payments date shift include the State Pension, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and Adult Disability Payment (ADP).
Full list of DWP support that will be paid on April 2 this week if payment days fall on the Bank Holiday days:
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Pension Credit
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- State Pension
- Universal Credit
HMRC payment date changes
The same is true for HMRC payments, including:
- Child Benefit
- Guardian’s Allowance
Social Security Scotland, the executive Agency of the Scottish Government responsible for managing the benefits devolved to Scotland will also be pushing some payments forward to April 2.
Benefits affected include:
- Adult Disability Payment
- Child Disability Payment
- Scottish Child Payment
- Carer Support Payment
- Pension Age Disability Payment
- Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance
Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities (DfC) says while the benefits they’re responsible for operate on different payment systems, “you will not receive your payment later than the day it would normally be due”.
