Millions of pensioners are set for an early payment next month as bank holidays are set to impact when benefits are paid. Good Friday and Easter Monday fall on April 18 and 21 respectively, and the DWP has announced that benefits will be paid out the day before the long weekend. This means the state pension will be made on Thursday, April 17.
The payment date change will also mean that claimants of child benefit, disability living allowance, carer’s allowance and personal independence payment (PIP) will be paid on that date. If you are claiming any of these benefits you do not need to make any changes, as the money will be paid as normal into your bank account.
Benefit payments will also be affected by the two May bank holidays, which fall on May 5 and May 26.
From April, millions of older Britons will see their state pension payments increase by up to £474. The state pension is set to rise by 4.1% from April 7, in line with the triple lock promise.
This ensures that the state pension increases by the highest of either inflation (using the previous September’s inflation figure), wages (average growth between May and July) or 2.5%. This year, the increase in state pension payments is due to wage growth, confirmed at 4.1%.
Government data released this week revealed that the number of people claiming the state pension reached 13 million in August 2024 – an increase of 203,000 from the previous August. However, the amount you receive in state pension payments depends on your National Insurance record.
The full new state pension is currently £221.20 a week, or £11,502.40 a year – this will rise to £230.25 a week, or £11,973 a year, from April. This means the maximum increase is worth £470.60 a year.
A number of other changes to benefits and national finances could also affect British budgets next month. This includes the Tax Credit service due to close on April 5, as most eligible recipients should be migrating to Universal Credit.
The earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance will also be increasing from £151 to £196. Workers on national minimum wage will also see their salaries increase as they will rise by 6%.
Other benefits that may be affected by the Easter Bank Holiday
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance – usually paid every two weeks
- Income Support – usually paid every two weeks
- Jobseeker’s Allowance – usually paid every two weeks
- Pension Credit
- Personal Independence Payment
- State Pension
- Tax Credits (such as Working Tax Credit)
- Universal Credit
