Some State Pension payments will be issued early by the DWP ahead of the spring bank holiday (Image: Getty)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be sending early Friday payments of up to £965.20 to eligible state pensioners next week based on a two digit code.
The early payments come as a result of the May spring bank holiday which falls at the end of this month on Monday, May 25, meaning normal payment dates will change for some State Pension claimants. Early payments have already been issued by the DWP this month ahead of the early May Bank Holiday on May 4, with payments landing in accounts three days earlier on Friday, May 1, instead. And with a second Bank Holiday due in the final week of May, it means State Pension payments will once again be disrupted for some before returning to normal in June.
When a State Pension payment date falls on either a Bank Holiday or a weekend, the DWP will instead issue the payment on the earliest working day before and pensioners can determine when their usual payment date is by checking the final two digits of their National Insurance number.
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The two digits at the end of your National Insurance number specifies the date on which State Pension payments are normally issued. This is how National Insurance numbers correspond to payment days:
00 to 19 – paid on Monday20 to 39 – paid on Tuesday40 to 59 – paid on Wednesday60 to 79 – paid on Thursday80 to 99 – paid on Friday
So if your National Insurance number ends in 00 to 19, it means your usual payment date falls on a Monday, meaning it may coincide with the May spring bank holiday on May 25. If this is the case, the DWP will instead issue your payment three days early on Friday, May 22.
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The DWP said: “You’ll be asked when you want to start getting your State Pension when you claim. Your first payment will be no later than 5 weeks after the date you choose. You’ll get a full payment every 4 weeks after that.
“You might get part of a payment before your first full payment. The letter confirming your State Pension payment will tell you what to expect.
“The day your pension is paid depends on your National Insurance number. You might be paid earlier if your normal payment day is a bank holiday.”
State Pension rates increased by 4.8% on April 6, so pensioners will see this uplift reflected in their May payments. The increase means those who eligible for the full new State Pension now get a maximum of £241.30 per week, while the full basic State Pension is worth £184.90 per week.
So for those with a full qualifying National Insurance record, this amounts to £965.20 from the DWP every four weeks if you get the full new State Pension, while those eligible for the maximum basic State Pension will get £739.60 from the DWP over the four-week payment period.
The State Pension is typically paid every four weeks and when you first claim it, you choose the date when you want to receive your payment.
So if your payment is due on the same day as the spring Bank Holiday on Monday, May 25, the DWP has confirmed payments will be sent into bank accounts on the earliest working day before.
As such, pensioners with a full National Insurance record can expect up to £965.20 from the DWP to land in their bank accounts next Friday, May 22.
The DWP said: “Benefits are usually paid straight into your bank, building society or credit union account. If your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday you’ll usually be paid on the working day before.”
If your usual State Pension payment date is changing this month you don’t need to do anything as your money will be paid straight into your usual bank, building society or credit union account.