THE Department for Work and Pensions is making a major change to 11 mean-tested benefits within days.
This means thousands of people receiving welfare payments, such as Universal Credit, will get their money on a different day than usual.
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This is because when the day payments are due falls on a bank holiday or the weekend, payments are made on the first working day before.
The upcoming bank holiday falls on Monday, August 25.
So if you’re due to receive a payment on that day, it will be issued earlier, on Friday, August 22.
Anyone expecting them on August 23 or 24 will also receive their money on August 22.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC have confirmed the following benefits will be made early in August:
The amount you get paid will not change.
It will be the same as the previous month unless you have had a change of circumstances that has affected how much you are due.
Remember that if you get paid early, you must make that money last, as you will have to wait extra days until your next payment date.
If you are expecting your benefit payment on August 22 and don’t receive it, contact the DWP.
You can also submit a complaint to the government department to get a problem sorted if your payment is wrong.
Other bank holidays this year
AFTER August, there are two more bank holidays before the end of the year which could impact when you receive your benefits.
Here’s when DWP or HMRC will make your payments:
- December 25 – payments will be made on December 24 instead
- December 26 – payments will be made on December 24 instead
Meanwhile, parents have just weeks to take action or they could risk losing their child benefit payments.
The taxman is posting thousands of letters to parents of teenagers asking them to give an update about their future education plans.
Child benefit is currently worth £26.05 a week for the eldest child or only child.
For each subsequent child, parents get £17.25 a week.
However, payments automatically stop on August 31 on or after the child has turned 16 unless parents renew their claim when their child is continuing in education.
The parents of children who are furthering their education have until August 31 to tell HMRC or their payments will automatically stop.
Parents can continue to receive the cash boost up until their child is 19, and enrolled in an apprenticeship program or the following education schemes:
- A levels or Scottish Highers
- International Baccalaureate
- home education – if it started before their child turned 16, or after 16 if they have a statement of special educational needs and it was assessed by the local authority
- T levels
- NVQs, up to level 3.
Child benefit will also continue for children studying on one of these unpaid approved training courses:
- In Wales: Foundation Apprenticeships, Traineeships or the Jobs Growth Wales+ scheme
- In Northern Ireland: PEACEPLUS Youth Programme 3.2, Training for Success or Skills for Life and Work
- In Scotland: Employability Fund programme and No One Left Behind
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
