Thousands of benefit claimants in the UK may see their payment dates change next month due to two bank holidays in May. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC have confirmed that payments due on bank holidays will be made on the previous working day.
The first bank holiday is on Monday, May 5. Anyone expecting a benefit payment on that date will receive it on Friday, May 2 instead. The second bank holiday is on Monday, May 26, with payments due that day being made on Friday, May 23.
Affected benefits include Universal Credit and Child Benefit, among others. The payment amount remains the same, but claimants will need to budget carefully as the gap until the next payment will be longer.
If a payment does not arrive as expected, claimants can contact the DWP helpline on 0800 328 5644. However, the helpline is closed on bank holidays, so queries should be made on the previous working day or the day after.
