The DWP is sending out a bumper £908 to many state pensioners at midnight thanks to a change to payment schedules for this week.
The Department for Work and Pensions normally pays Pension Credit once every four weeks with your exact payment date changed depending on your circumstances such as when you first claimed and your National Insurance number. State pensions, for example, are paid on different days of the week depending on what your National Insurance number ends in.
Pension Credit is a top-up for state pensioners on low incomes, that boosts their benefits up to closer to the full state pension.
Normally, those who retired after 2016 receive the new state pension (assuming they have a full National Insurance record), which would give them about £921 every four weeks. Those on the old state pension, who retired before 2016, would be on the basic pension, which is £176.45 per week.
But those on the old pension can top up their income using Pension Credit, up to £227.10 per week, or £908.40 every four weeks.
And those who normally get their Pension Credit paid this coming Monday, May 26 will be paid early this week, at midnight on Friday, May 23.
That’s because the DWP will not pay benefits on Bank Holidays, and Monday, May 26 is a Bank Holiday, which means various benefits have been brought forward by three days to this Friday.
The payment normally hits bank accounts at midnight or just after midnight on the day it’s paid, so should arrive at midnight on Friday (00.01am) or thereabouts.
Other benefits may also be paid early including state pensions, Child Benefit, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments (PIP), Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, Income Support and Jobseeker’s Allowance.
Pension Credit is also useful for state pensioners because it enables them to claim other benefits on top, such as a free TV Licence (for over 75s), a Winter Fuel Payment, and help with other costs such as dental work and eyecare.
To claim Pension Credit, call the Pension Service helpline on 0800 99 1234.
