Claimants of certain benefits, like Universal Credit, may find their payments affected by the Easter bank holidays next month.

There are two bank holiday dates in April, with Good Friday falling on April 7 and Easter Monday falling on April 10.

If you are due to receive a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit payment on that day, you may find you receive your payment on a different day.

While you may be paid earlier in some cases, the money will also have to last you longer, as payment dates will return to normal after the Easter bank holiday weekend.

Bournemouth Echo:

If your payment is due on either Good Friday or Easter Monday, it is likely you will receive it on Thursday, April 6, The Mirror reports.

If you’re payment is due on a different day, it will arrive in your account as normal and the amount you are due to be paid will remain the same.

Who can claim cost of living payments this year?

There are several benefits that could make claimants eligible for the £301 Cost of Living Payment, including Universal Credit and tax credits – through which 5.4 million households across the UK are expected to qualify, and Pension Credit, through which 1.4 million pensioner households are expected to be paid. 1.3 million will be eligible through legacy DWP benefits such as Jobseekers Allowance and Income Support, reaching a total of 8.1 million households.

Eligible individuals do not need to apply for payments, as they are made automatically. Those eligible for cost of living payments through tax credits, and no other means-tested benefits, will be paid by HMRC shortly after DWP payments are made.

When will DWP cost of living payments be paid?

Exact payment windows and qualifying periods for eligibility will be announced in due course, but are designed to ensure a consistent support offer throughout the year. Payment windows will be broadly as follows:

  • £301 – First 2023/24 Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2023
  • £150 – 2023 Disability Payment – during Summer 2023
  • £300 – Second 2023/24 Cost of Living Payment – during Autumn 2023
  • £300 – 2023 Pensioner Payment – during Winter 2023/4
  • £299 – Third 2023/24 Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2024