DWP payment dates can change month to month(Image: GETTY)The exact date your benefits from the Department of Work and Pensions, DWP, are paid in June should be relatively the same to the date you first claimed your benefit. This is because there aren’t any bank holidays that would wreak havoc on payment dates.
Attendance allowance, disability living allowance, pension credit and personal independence payment (PIP) are paid every four weeks based on the date you received your first payment. Carer’s Allowance and child benefit payments can be dished out every week or every four weeks depending on your preference.
If your usual payment date falls on a weekend, your benefit will be paid on the nearest working day before. For example, if your PIP is due on June 15, a Sunday, it should be paid on June 13, the Friday before.
State pension payments, which can be made every week or every four weeks depending on your preference, differs slightly. The date you’re paid is connected to your National Insurance number.
If your National Insurance number ends in 00 to 019, you’ll be paid on Mondays. If it’s 20 to 39, you’ll be paid on Tuesdays. If it’s 40 to 59, you’ll be paid on Wednesdays. If it’s 60 to 79, you’ll be paid on Thursdays. And if it’s 80 to 99, you’ll be paid on Fridays.
Most benefit payments and dates will be returning to normal after all the bank holidays and rate increases from the last two months, but some Universal Credit recipients will notice a major change in their next payment.
This will be the 1.7% increase that was implemented on April 7. The delayed rise is because of how this specific benefit operates.
Each time you receive Universal Credit, the amount is based on the last four-week-long assessment period. It’s usually paid seven days after the assessment period ends.
Your rate only includes the annual April increase when you’ve had one full assessment period after the rise. For instance, if you receive Universal Credit payment on the first of each month, your assessment period from March 24 to April 24 was partially on the old rates.
Therefore, your payment on May 1 wouldn’t have included the rise. But your next assessment period, from April 24 to May 24, would include the 1.7% increase, making your June payment higher.
The DWP has previously confirmed that backpay will be awarded for this delayed increase.
If your benefit payment hasn’t been paid when you believe it was due, it’s best to first check your original award notice. This will have the payment dates listed, and if you are missing a payment you can then check with your bank to see if it’s maybe still waiting to go through.
If the payment is nowhere to be found, you should contact the benefit or pension office that deals with your payments. For example, you can use your online Universal Credit account, the PIP enquiry line or HMRC helpline depending what type of payment you’re waiting for.