With Christmas a little over a month away, many households in the country will be trying to manage their money for the festive period, especially during these trying times of housing and cost of living crises, energy hikes and inflation rates rising. For those expecting Universal Credit, PIP and Child Benefit payments, it's also worth noting that this Christmas sees a number of Bank Holidays, too.
Christmas Eve this year falls on a Saturday, Christmas Day on a Sunday, with Boxing Day on a Bank Holiday Monday and Tuesday, December 27 acting as the Christmas Day Bank Holiday. There's also a Bank Holiday Monday to make up for New Year's Day this year falling on a Sunday - but what does all this mean for payments?
According to the Government's website, anyone who usually receives their Universal Credit payment on those dates will get their money on the Friday before Christmas Day which this year is December 23. Here are all the dates to keep in your diary...
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Christmas 2022 Universal Credit payment dates
If your payment is due on December 26, 27 or 28, you will receive it on December 23. Following this, if you are due to receive payment on December 29, you will receive payment on December 28 (England and Scotland only).
Those due to receive payment on January 2 or 3 will receive payment on December 30. Then, payments expected to arrive on January 4 will arrive on January 3 (England and Northern Ireland only).
Child Benefit payment dates
Again, your Child Benefit payment is usually paid early if it's due on a Bank Holiday. If this year you are due to receive your payment on December 26 or 27, you can expect it on December 23.
Christmas Bonus
According to the gov.uk website, "The Christmas Bonus is a one-off tax-free £10 payment made before Christmas, paid to people who get certain benefits in the qualifying week. This is normally the first full week of December.
"You do not need to claim - you should get paid automatically. It will not affect any other benefits you get.
"All benefits, pensions and allowances are normally paid into an account, such as your bank account. It may show up as ‘DWP XB’ on your bank statement.
"To get a Christmas bonus you must be present or ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or Gibraltar during the qualifying week." You can find out more about it, here.
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