The long Easter weekend is nearly here, hopefully bringing a nice break and warm, sunny weather to us all.
However, two bank holidays in a row - Good Friday and Easter Monday - mean payments, including state benefits, may not happen on their usual day.
Thankfully, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the new payment dates, should your regular benefit payment day fall across the Easter weekend.
In summary, if your usual benefit payment date fall anywhere from April 2 (Good Friday) to April 5 (Easter Monday), it should actually get paid on Thursday, April 1 2021. That means universal credit, state pension, jobseekers' allowance, personal independence payment, tax credits, child benefit and more should all be paid on April 1.
However, if your scheduled payment date does not fall on Easter weekend - if you're due to be paid the Friday after Easter, for example - then that payment will continue as expected.
The benefits affected include:
- Attendance allowance
- Carer's allowance
- Child benefit
- Disability living allowance
- Employment and support allowance
- Income support
- Jobseeker's allowance
- Pension credit
- Personal independence payment
State pension
- Tax credits, such as working tax credits
- Universal credit
The payments will still be set at the 2020 levels that have been in action for a year now; benefit rates are set to rise by around 0.5% (and pensions by 2.5%) from April 6, 2021.
This week also sees the DWP using video assessments for the first time for some benefits. This is due to begin on March 25.
