Benefit and Tax Credit Christmas payment dates
The dates for benefit and tax credit payments will change over the festive period and new year.
Listed below are the payment dates that are affected for the different benefits. If the due date is not listed, then the benefit will be paid on the normal date.
Universal Credit
| Payment due | When it will be paid |
|---|---|
24 December 2020 | 24 December 2020 |
25, 26, 27 or 28 December 2020 | 24 December 2020 |
29 December 2020 | 29 December 2020 |
30 December 2020 | 30 December 2020 |
31 December 2020 | 31 December 2020 |
1, 2 or 3 January 2021 | 31 December 2020 |
4 January 2021 | 4 January 2021 |
All other Department of Work and Pensions benefits, including PIP, ESA, JSA and State Pension
| Payment due | When it will be paid |
|---|---|
24 December 2020 | 23 December 2020 |
25, 26, 27 or 28 December 2020 | 23 December 2020 |
29 December 2020 | 29 December 2020 |
30 December 2020 | 30 December 2020 |
31 December 2020 | 31 December 2020 |
1, 2 or 3 January 2021 | 31 December 2020 |
4 January 2021 | 31 December 2020 |
Child Benefit
| Payment due | When it will be paid |
|---|---|
28 December 2020 | 24 December 2020 |
29 December 2020 | 29 December 2020 |
4 January 2021 | 31 December 2020 |
5 January 2021 | 6 January 2021 |
| Payment due | When it will be paid |
|---|---|
24 December 2020 | 24 December 2020 |
25, 26, 27 or 28 December 2020 | 24 December 2020 |
29 December 2020 | 29 December 2020 |
30 December 2020 | 30 December 2020 |
31 December 2020 | 31 December 2020 |
1, 2 or 3 January 2021 | 31 December 2020 |
4 January 2021 | 31 December 2020 |
When will money arrive in the bank account?
Depending on your bank, funds are usually in the account in the early hours of the day they are paid. These are the typical paying-in times for banks:
- Clydesdale, Yorkshire - 11.30pm the night before to 12.30am
- Lloyds - midnight to 1am
- Bank of Scotland - midnight to 1.30am
- Metro Bank - midnight to 2am
- Barclays, Co-op - 1am to 2am
- Natwest, RBS, Ulster Bank, Nationwide - 2am to 3am
- Halifax - 3am to 4am
- HSBC, Santander - 6am to 9am.
Jobcentre opening dates
Jobcentres will have limited opening over the Christmas period. However, telephone lines will be open on Christmas Eve and on Monday, January 4 for missing or urgent payments only.
See the Jobcentre opening dates below:
- Thursday 24 December - Offices are open, however, phone lines are open for missing or urgent payments only
- Friday 25 December - Offices and phone lines are closed
- Monday 28 December - Offices and phone lines are closed
- Tuesday 29 December - Offices and phone lines are open as normal
- Wednesday 30 December - Offices and phone lines are open as normal
- Thursday 31 December - Offices and phone lines are open as normal
- Friday 1 January - Offices and phone lines are closed
- Monday 4 January - Offices are closed, however, phone lines are open for missing or urgent payments only
- From Tuesday 5 January 2021, offices and phone lines will be open as normal.
Payment not received
If for any reason a payment is received late or not at all, customers are advised to contact their bank first before getting in touch with the DWP or HMRC.
Following this, please contact the department below depending on the benefit:
Benefit | Telephone | Textphone (for tenants with hearing problems) |
Universal Credit if you have an online account (calls are free) | ||
JSA, Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and ESA (calls are free) | ||
DLA, Attendance Allowance and PIP (calls are free) | ||
Carer’s Allowance (calls are free) | ||
State Pension (calls are free) | ||
Pension Credit (calls are free) | ||
Tax Credits | NGT text relay Dial 18001 then 0345 300 3900 |