Payment date calculator
Tell us your benefit and your usual payment pattern, and we will work out your next 6 payment dates — including any that move early because of weekends and bank holidays.
Next bank holiday
Payment dates by benefit
Universal Credit
Paid monthly — check your date and bank holiday changes.
State Pension
Every 4 weeks. Your day depends on your NI number.
Child Benefit
Every 4 weeks on a Monday or Tuesday — plus HMRC's own holiday dates.
PIP
Usually paid every 4 weeks.
Pension Credit
Usually paid every 4 weeks.
Carer's Allowance
Weekly in advance, or every 4 weeks.
Attendance Allowance
Usually paid every 4 weeks.
DLA
Usually paid every 4 weeks.
ESA
Usually paid every 2 weeks.
JSA
Usually paid every 2 weeks.
Income Support
Usually paid every 2 weeks.
Housing Benefit
Paid by your local council — dates vary. Here's how to check.
Payment dates where you live
Bank holidays are different in each part of the UK, and the holidays where you live are the ones that affect your payments.
England & Wales
8 bank holidays a year, including Easter Monday and the late-August summer holiday.
Scotland
Extra days on 2 January and St Andrew's Day, an early-August summer holiday — and no Easter Monday.
Northern Ireland
St Patrick's Day and Orangemen's Day — and Universal Credit paid twice a month.
How benefit payment dates work
Most benefits are paid straight into your bank, building society or credit union account. GOV.UK's rule is simple: if your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday, you'll usually be paid on the working day before. The one exception to watch is Child Benefit, which is paid by HMRC to its own published holiday dates — sometimes a day later around Scottish and Northern Irish holidays.
Every date on this site is worked out from the official GOV.UK bank holiday lists for 2026 and 2027 — see how we calculate dates and our sources. Because a new site can't show you your personal account, always confirm important dates in your benefit account or award letter.
If your payment hasn't arrived
- Wait until the end of the payment day. Payments can appear at different times of day, and a payment due today is not late until the day is over.
- Check you have the right day. Around weekends and bank holidays payments move earlier, never later — run your dates through the calculator above to be sure.
- Check your benefit account or award letter (for Universal Credit, your online journal) for a change to your amount or date.
- Still missing on the next working day? Contact the office that pays your benefit — the number is on your letters and on GOV.UK.
One safety note: DWP and HMRC will never call, text or email you unexpectedly asking for bank details to "release" a payment. Treat any message like that as a scam.
Benefit rates 2026/27
Knowing the date is only half the picture — how much should you be getting? In 2026/27 the full new State Pension is £241.30 a week and the Universal Credit standard allowance for a single person aged 25 or over is £424.90 a month. See all the benefit and pension rates for 2026/27.
Frequently asked questions
When will my next benefit payment be?
It depends on your benefit and your usual pattern: monthly for Universal Credit, every 4 weeks for most other benefits, and every 2 weeks for ESA, JSA and Income Support. Use the calculator above with your usual day of the month or your last payment date, and it will show your next 6 dates with any bank holiday changes included.
What time of day do benefit payments reach my account?
Payments are made into your account on the payment day itself, but there is no single set time — banks and building societies show them at different points in the day. If the money is not there first thing in the morning, check again later in the day before worrying.
My payment hasn't arrived. What should I do?
Follow the steps in the section above: wait until the end of the payment day, double-check you have the right day (payments move earlier, never later, around weekends and bank holidays), then check your benefit account or award letter. If it is still missing on the next working day, contact the office that pays your benefit.
If I'm paid early for a bank holiday, is it extra money?
No. It is the same payment, on an earlier date. Your next payment still arrives on its normal date, so the gap after an early payment is longer than usual — it can help to set some of it aside for the extra days.
Do bank holidays in other parts of the UK affect my payment?
No — the bank holidays for the part of the UK where you live are the ones that count. The exception to watch is Child Benefit: HMRC sometimes pays a day later around Scotland-only and Northern Ireland-only holidays. See our Child Benefit page.