Changes to benefit and pension payments over Christmas announced - when claimants can expect to receive payments over festive period

For anyone in receipt of benefits, Christmas can be especially difficult when trying to make ends meet. Add to that the bank holidays changing payment dates and it can make budgeting even more difficult to manage.

For most people, benefit payments will be paid out on the usual dates throughout December with a couple of exceptions. For anyone due a payment on Thursday, December 25 (Christmas Day) this will instead be paid into accounts on Wednesday, December 24 (Christmas Eve).

The same applies for the Boxing Day bank holiday - Friday, December 26. Anyone expecting a payment on that day should also receive it on Christmas Eve.

Again, on New Year’s Day, the bank holiday will affect payments due on that day too. Anyone expecting to receive their benefits on January 1, will instead receive it a day early on December 31 (New Year’s Eve).

Benefits affected by these date changes are:

• Universal credit
• State pension
• Pension credit
• Child benefit
• Disability living allowance (DLA)
• Personal independence payment (PIP)
• Attendance allowance
• Carer’s allowance
• Employment support allowance (ESA)
• Income support
• Jobseeker’s allowance

Pension payment dates December 2025

In the same way other benefits are paid out, pension payments are paid straight into bank accounts, usually every four weeks. The actual date a pension payment is received corresponds with the last two digits in a person’s national insurance (NI) number.

According to those NI numbers, these are the dates payments are carried out:

• 00 to 19: Monday
• 20 to 39: Tuesday
• 40 to 59: Wednesday
• 60 to 79: Thursday
• 80 to 99: Friday

In the same way as the benefit payments above will change if they fall on bank holidays, pension payments will arrive on Christmas Eve if the normal payment date lands on Christmas Day or Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve if it would be due to arrive on New Year’s Day.

Advice on the gov.uk website states: “Some payments will be made earlier if they’re due between 24 December 2025 and 2 January 2026. Tell the office that pays your benefit if you do not get your payment on the day it’s scheduled.”

For more information on how and when benefits will be paid over the festive period, visit the government’s website.