BENEFIT PAYMENT FREQUENCY: This important section explains exactly how often your welfare money gets paid.
In most cases your benefits and allowances will go straight into a secure account. This can be your bank account, credit union account, or building society account.
But, there are occasions when your benefit and allowance payments can go into a Post Office Card account.
This guide also explains how claimants without a bank or building society account receive their weekly benefit payments.
Benefit payment dates often coincide with a bank holiday or public holidays. On these rare occasions you should receive the remittance on the last banking day of the working week before the start of the bank holiday.
Note: Information on how and when your benefits are paid is also available in Welsh language (Cymraeg).
How Often are Benefits Paid?
| Type of Benefit or Allowance | 2022 Payment Dates for Welfare Benefits |
|---|---|
| Attendance Allowance | Every four (4) weeks |
| State Pension | Every four (4) weeks |
| Carer’s Allowance | Weekly in advance (or every four weeks) |
| Child Benefit | Every four (4) weeks (Child Benefit payment dates can be weekly and different on bank holidays). |
| Disability Living Allowance | Every four (4) weeks |
| Employment Support Allowance | Every two (2) weeks |
| Jobseeker’s Allowance | Every two (2) weeks |
| Pension Credit | Every four (4) weeks |
| Personal Independence Payments | Every four (4) weeks |
| Tax Credits (Working Tax Credits) | Every four (4) weeks (tax credits payment dates can be weekly and different on bank holidays). |
| Universal Credit | Every month |
Disclaimer: The table showing when benefits are paid is for general guidance only. We have no control over your exact benefit payment dates on bank holidays in the United Kingdom.
How are Benefits Paid?
The government issues direct payments into your account for security reasons. So, the benefits office will need to know the full and accurate details.
You must inform them of your bank, building society, or credit union account details when you make a claim. But, other options exist for those who cannot open a basic bank account or find it difficult to manage one.
As a rule, money for Child Benefit, Guardian’s Allowance, and Tax Credits benefits cannot go into:
- Child Trust Fund accounts.
- Children’s accounts.
- Some mortgage accounts (e.g. for tax credits).
- Business accounts.
- National Savings and Investments accounts (excluding NS&I Investment Accounts and Direct Saver Accounts).
Payments for the following benefits will not get paid into these specific bank accounts if they are in the name of someone else:
- Nationwide accounts with the sort code 07-00-30 or 07-10-40.
- Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) accounts with the sort code 57-00-45 or 60-92-04.
- Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) have limits on the amount of money that can be paid into them.
Note: Contact the office that pays your benefit or your work coach if you receive Universal Credit.
Post Office Card Account (POca)
Post Office card accounts are for claimants who have difficulty opening a secure account. You can receive your benefits, the state pension, and tax credits through a Post Office card account. But, no other income, such as your salary, can go into a Post Office Card account.
Changes to PO Card Accounts [2022]
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will not be renewing their contract to provide payments into Post Office card accounts (POca).
You may receive a letter informing you about the options that you have and how to respond to these important changes (e.g. set up an account to receive benefits payments, pensions, tax credits after November 2021).
You can either…
- Accept payments into an existing account.
- Open a new account with a bank, building society, or credit union.
- Use the Payment Exceptions Service.
The Payment Exceptions Service
The DWP Payment Exception Service is a scheme used in limited circumstances. It is for claimants who cannot get an account to receive benefits, child maintenance, and pensions.
How to Pay Back Your Benefits (repayments)
You are encouraged to repay all benefits and allowances that you receive, but consider them as ‘not needed‘. In this case you should write to the department that paid the benefit to you. Their address will be on any letters sent by them.
If you want to pay back your benefits, include a cheque made payable to the department. Remember to include your National Insurance number, payment date, and the amount.
Note: Tax Credits or Child Benefit may only be repaid if you have received benefit overpayments.