DWP payment dates may move, and millions will see extra cash land in accounts
DWP December changes to be aware of(Image: Getty Images/Stockbyte)
Everything you need to know about DWP December changes, including payment dates and extra cash
- Benefit payment dates will shift in December due to UK bank holidays. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) normally pays benefits on a regular schedule, such as monthly or fortnightly.
- Specifically, payments due on Christmas Day and Boxing Day will be made early. If your scheduled payment date falls on December 25 or December 26, the money will be credited to your account before those dates.
- The payment date changes are a standard adjustment when a scheduled date coincides with a bank holiday. This is done to ensure recipients receive their funds on a business day when banks are operational.
- Millions of DWP benefit recipients will also receive a special one-off Christmas Bonus. This is an extra payment credited automatically to the accounts of people claiming specific benefits.
- Recipients do not need to apply for this bonus; it is paid out automatically. The DWP issues this payment to those who are claiming a qualifying benefit during the “qualifying week,” usually the first full week of December.
- The Christmas Bonus is a separate payment and will not impact other benefits received. It will be paid into your regular account and may appear on your bank statement with the reference DWP XB.
- To qualify for the bonus, you must reside in the UK during the specified qualifying week. You must also be claiming at least one of many listed DWP benefits, which includes Attendance Allowance, PIP, and State Pension.
- Those who have not claimed their State Pension and are not entitled to another listed benefit will not receive the bonus. Claiming one of the specific qualifying benefits during the set timeframe is mandatory to be eligible for the payment.
READ MORE: ‘Automatic’ DWP bonus payments, who is eligible and when
