DWP claimants need to prepare for benefit ‘gap’ after Easter | Personal Finance | Finance

Given the timing of Easter this year, people relying on benefits need to know how an upcoming change to the payment plan will affect them. Monthly payments from sources such as Child Benefit, Pension Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) may all be affected.

Payments normally due at the beginning of the month will be paid earlier than usual. For example, if cash is to be deposited between April 6 and April 6, it will be added to bank accounts early on Thursday, April 2.

If the upcoming payment does not coincide with the Easter holidays, it will be paid as normal. Payment dates are determined by the date of your first claim or your National Insurance number and are subject to strict, automated cycles.

Considering that there will be another series of public holidays in the UK in May, right after Easter, there is a possibility that British people receiving benefits will receive their salaries early once again. The same type of benefits will be paid on Friday, May 1, if they would normally be paid on Monday, May 4.

There is another public holiday at the end of the month, on Monday 25 May, which may affect benefit payments. According to reports, calendars will continue as normal in June, with no further public holidays until the end of August, followed by Christmas in December. Mirror.

While DWP benefit recipients will receive these payments earlier than planned in April and May, the next payment in June will still be made on its normal date. This creates a longer gap between this payment and the next payment; This means that the same amount of funds must cover a longer period of time.

Although these early payments come back-to-back and are just days away from the ‘normal’ date, people relying on these funds may experience difficulties if this cash has to be stretched further than usual. Anyone already struggling financially may struggle even more without planning their budget to account for extra days between payments.

How to make money last longer?

Making money last longer includes budgeting, reducing household expenses, taking advantage of special discounts and ensuring you claim all the support available. Budgeting when claiming benefits is vital to making sure you have enough money to get by and pay the bills.

If you haven’t done so yet or haven’t done so in a while, make a list of all your income and expenses to understand your expenses; Aim to reduce costs in areas such as food and energy. To make sure bills are paid on time, try to change automatic bill payments (automatic payments) to the day after you receive your benefits payment.

Citizens Advice claims people can increase their income through short-term solutions and grants. Your benefits may be affected if your income changes permanently, such as renting a spare room. That sounds good use benefit calculator To check how your benefits may be affected.

For more advice, check out some Resources available at Citizens’ Advice England here. Similar resources involving living people Northern Ireland, Scotland And Wales they are here.