The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has officially released its payment schedule for the upcoming Christmas and New Year period, confirming key changes for millions of claimants across the UK.
Adjusted Payment Schedule for Key Dates
With Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Day all falling on weekdays in 2025, the DWP has outlined how payments will be moved forward. The standard rule applies: if a payment is due on a bank holiday, it will be issued on the last working day before the holiday. This affects anyone whose usual payment date lands on 24, 25, 26 December 2025 or 1 January 2026.
The department stated: "Some payments will be made earlier if they're due between 24 December 2025 and 2 January 2026." They also urged recipients to contact their relevant office if a scheduled payment does not arrive on time.
Detailed Payment Date Changes
The specific changes are as follows:
- Due Wednesday 24 December: Universal Credit will be paid on the 24th. All other benefits will be paid on Tuesday 23 December.
- Due Thursday 25 December (Christmas Day): All payments, including Universal Credit, will be made on Wednesday 24 December.
- Due Friday 26 December (Boxing Day): All payments will be made on Wednesday 24 December.
- Due Thursday 1 January (New Year's Day): All payments will be made on Wednesday 31 December 2025.
These adjustments impact a wide range of support payments, including State Pension, Jobseeker's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, and Attendance Allowance, which are typically paid at set intervals ranging from weekly to every four weeks.
Potential Strike Action Looms Over Pay Dispute
In a related development, the news comes amid potential industrial unrest within the DWP itself. Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, who work in jobcentres, Universal Credit service centres, and child maintenance offices, are set to vote on strike action in January.
This follows the rejection of a pay offer. The union has highlighted that some of its own members working for the DWP are struggling financially, with some forced to rely on in-work benefits or food banks.
This internal dispute underscores the broader financial pressures within the benefits system as the department prepares to administer the altered Christmas payment schedule to millions of households.
