Pensioners, Universal Credit recipients, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Child Benefit, and other regular payments could all see earlier payments.

Government departments are reminding claimants to check their payment dates so they’re not caught off guard by early deposits over long weekends.

The two May Bank Holiday payments

For many households, this will be the second time payments have arrived early this month.

Payments due on Monday May 4 2026 (including pensions, Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Benefit, and other DWP support) arrived on Friday May 1 2026.

Now, payments due on Monday May 25 are scheduled to arrive on Friday May 22.

HMRC and DWP explain that bank holidays mean banks are closed, so payments are brought forward to ensure claimants still have access to funds.

Why do we have the Spring Bank Holiday?

The Spring Bank Holiday, also known as the Late May Bank Holiday, was originally tied to Whit Sunday (Pentecost), a Christian festival marking the descent of the Holy Spirit and traditionally celebrated seven weeks after Easter.

The holiday was once known as Whitsun Bank Holiday and moved each year with Easter.

In 1971, it was fixed to the last Monday in May, removing its direct religious link but keeping its timing as a key early summer long weekend.

Summer and autumn changes

Later in 2026, further adjustments apply depending on location:

• 3 August → 4 August (Scotland only)
• 4 August → 5 August (Scotland only)
• 31 August → 28 August (all UK)
• 28 December → 24 December
• 29 December → 30 December (Northern Ireland only)

Regional public holidays in Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee) and Northern Ireland can also affect payment timing.

Which pensioners are paid on Mondays?

The day your pension is paid depends on your National Insurance number. Your payment day is based on the last two digits of your National Insurance number.

State Pension payment days by National Insurance number:

• 00 to 19 — Monday
• 20 to 39 — Tuesday
• 40 to 59 — Wednesday
• 60 to 79 — Thursday
• 80 to 99 — Friday

How to check your payment

• Look at your bank statement – payments normally appear with references like “DWP Pension” or “HMRC Child Benefit”
• For those on Universal Credit, check the online account for exact payment dates
• If a payment seems late, check with your bank first, then contact the DWP or HMRC if necessary

“Knowing when payments will arrive helps households manage their budgets, especially around busy bank holiday weekends,” a DWP spokesperson said.

Andreescu was plagued with injuries – issues with her abdomen and ankle kept her away from the court, and her 2025 season was delayed by appendectomy surgery.

Her form suffered and she has failed to go beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam since her US Open triumph, with her ranking tumbling from a high of world number four in 2019 to 228 earlier this year.

At the start of 2026 she decided to return to an environment where she hadn’t played since 2018, swapping life on the WTA Tour for that on the ITF.

The tournament rankings work from W15 – the lowest level – up to W100. Andreescu was competing in W35 and W75 editions, with the total prize pot for a W35 tournament about £26,000.

The make-up of the ITF tour tends to be youngsters who are trying to make their mark on the sport, women who were unable to break on to the WTA Tour or players who are using it to regain previous form.

The crowds might be tiny and line judges rare, but competition on the court is fierce.

“The hunger the women had that I was playing against, every match was so difficult, and I feel like maybe on the WTA Tour, the athletes are maybe a bit more comfortable with certain things,” Andreescu says.

“Certain things are getting paid for [on the WTA Tour]. But on that [ITF] level, nothing’s getting paid for, and you’re barely breaking even. I was there too at one point, so I know how it is.

“I don’t want people to get the idea that the ITF tour is Mickey Mouse compared to the WTA Tour, because that’s not the case.

“I feel a lot of admiration and respect for the women that continue to grind on the tour, because it’s not easy, even on the WTA Tour, it’s just not easy.”

Vemic, who joined Andreescu’s team in September 2025, echoed those thoughts.

“Every player there needs to prove themselves and everyone is hungry and they’re not bored of playing many years on tour,” he says.

“They’re all driven by their dreams and passion because a lot of them are younger athletes.

“So sometimes it’s a transitional part or stage of coming from juniors into professional waters and some of them carry a lot of confidence.”

People are being urged to avoid an area near Bury town centre as emergency services respond to an incident.

Police and firefighters are in attendance at the A58 Rochdale Road, in Bury, near Derby Way.

Derby Way is closed in both directions close to the Rock shopping centre.

Details on the nature of the incident are yet to be confirmed.

Greater Manchester Police and Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have been approached for further details.

Dr Caitlin Todd (Caroline Harker), Emmerdale’s most twisted medical professional since John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth), is truly a wretched creature.

A vicious bully at work and an arch manipulator in every other aspect of her life, she’s even managed to take on and almost entirely destroy the usually indomitable Charity Dingle (Emma Atkins).

We were introduced to Todd as the spiteful boss of young student doctor, Jacob Gallagher (Joe-Warren Plant), who she took an instant dislike to, proceeding to make his working life a living hell. Not satisfied with torturing him at work, she also moved to the village and became Vanessa Woodfield’s (Michelle Hardwick) roommate, allowing her to continue to victimise him when he’s at home, too.

Jacob took to the proper channels by formally reporting Todd to HR at the hospital, though Todd’s discovery that baby Leyla, believed to be Jacob and wife Sarah Sugden’s (Katie Hill), is actually the child of not-so-surrogate, Charity, led to her using this ammunition to force Charity to get Jacob to withdraw his complaint.

Clever enough to know her time was running out, and that Jacob may well resume his official complaint in the future, thus tarnishing her precious career, Todd changed tack and decided to retire early. Though Sarah was insistent that Jacob see his original complaint through, Jacob could see the light at the end of the tunnel, and looked forward to a working life without Todd constantly holding his feet to the fire.

Todd’s new focus on Charity, though, is every bit as cruel and vindictive as it was with Jacob, only without the professional veneer she previously employed. Charity knows of her true, dark nature, thus no haughty or accomplished masquerading is needed.

Initially demanding only £10,000 for her silence regarding Leyla’s true parentage, Todd saw pound signs when she realised that Charity actually owned half of the Woolpack, and multiplied her demand by ten: she now wanted £100,000 to keep her mouth shut and disappear.

With few options to scrape the cash together left, Charity turned to her well-off cousins, Caleb and Ruby Miligan (William Ash and Beth Cordingly), with an offer to purchase her share of the pub. Caleb was instantly aware that something was seriously wrong; Charity would never be so desperate to flog her beloved Woolpack and attempted to dig deeper into what was driving her.

Though Charity kept shtum, Caleb made it abundantly clear that should Charity need his support, he’d be there for her.

Witnessing their exchange made Todd uneasy, and she later let herself into Charity’s house, picking up baby Leyla while landing more threats on Charity. With an ice cold warning that she had no idea what Todd was truly capable of, Charity was left more terrified than ever that her secret was about to be exposed, which would lead her life to ultimately explode.

But will she take Caleb up on his offer?

Caleb is equally as terrifying an enemy as both Charity and Todd, possessing a deeply ruthless streak and a determination to destroy all those that cross him. He appeared in the village initially, determined to claim Home Farm as his true birth right, being the son of Frank Tate (Norman Bowler), with every intention of annihilating Kim Tate (Claire King) on his way to his ultimate goal.

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He even used his son, Nicky (Lewis Cope) to seduce Gabby Thomas (Rosie Bentham) as part of the scheme, seeing her as little more than collateral damage.

Caleb and Charity together would be nearly unstoppable; a manipulative, devious force that could truly spell the end of Dr Caitlin Todd and put her reign of terror down for good.

But would Charity risk more people discovering that the baby she carried for Sarah and Jacob is actually hers and Ross Barton’s (Michael Parr)?

If she doesn’t, Charity may well have to accept defeat, and be left with absolutely nothing by the time that Todd has bled her dry, but that doesn’t sound very Charity-like, does it?

MORE: Charity saves Vanessa from sinister Dr Todd in Emmerdale

MORE: Emmerdale’s Doctor Todd makes a new discovery about Charity that could see her lose everything

MORE: All Emmerdale spoilers for next week as casualty of Tate-Dingle war ‘confirmed’

The Unite union says nearly 500 HGV drivers employed by Eddie Stobart supplying Morrison’s supermarkets across the north of England are being balloted for strike action over what it calls ‘union-busting’.

The workers, based at Morrison’s three distribution depots in Wakefield, Stockton-on-Tees and Northwich in Cheshire, are angry over Eddie Stobart’s increasing use of agency drivers to undermine terms and conditions.

Unite says around 40 per cent of drivers in Stockton and Northwich are now agency.

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Instead of hiring new drivers directly when people leave, Eddie Stobart is gradually replacing its unionised workforce with individuals on insecure contracts and significantly diminished terms and conditions.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “Eddie Stobart’s attempts to undermine drivers’ pay and conditions, creating a race-to-the-bottom on employment standards is appalling.

“This disgraceful union-busting will not be allowed – these workers have Unite’s absolute backing.”

As well as excluding temporary workers from the collective bargaining rights permanent staff are entitled to, Unite says Edie Stobart Limited has confirmed if it does hire any new directly employed drivers in the future that they will also be on inferior terms and conditions.  

Press advert (Image: NQ)

The workers are being balloted until  June 4. They are responsible for delivering every type of grocery to Morrison’s supermarkets and strike action would result in empty shelves across the north of England.

Unite regional officer Neil Howells said: “Morrison’s will be extremely angry that it is facing empty shelves because Eddie Stobart is union-busting. There is still time to avoid strikes, but that will require Eddie Stobart reaching a fair agreement with Unite.” 

A spokesperson for Morrisons told the Press: “We understand that Eddie Stobart Limited and Unite remain in discussions on this issue and encourage both parties to engage constructively to find a solution.

“We note that deliveries continue as normal.”

Eddie Stobart Ltd has been approached for comment.

What: Beachfront resorts home to award-winning restaurants and next-level dining

Where: Idyllic coastal locations in Mexico and the Dominican Republic

Don’t miss: The freshly caught fish and seafood dishes, whichever location you’re in

Highlight: Knowing you don’t have to leave the resort to get a taste of the region’s traditional cuisine

Two teenagers were found dead after the opened fire at a mosque, killing three men – one of the suspects was revealed to be a former school wrestler and images revealed the teen showing off their sports medals

One of the alleged shooters who opened fire at a mosque was identified as a 17-year-old former school wrestler.

Three people were left dead after two gunmen sprayed bullets outside the Islamic Center of San Diego, in California, on Monday. The teenage suspects were later identified as Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, and were later found dead inside a BMW, near the mosque, reportedly with self-inflicted gunshot wounds.

Clark has been revealed to be a former high school wrestler, with images showing the teenager showing off his medals. Hate speech had reportedly been inscribed into one of the weapons used in the horror attack and anti-Islamic writings were reportedly discovered in the suspects’ car.

READ MORE: San Diego shooting updates: ‘Hate rhetoric’ of gunmen as three killed at mosqueREAD MORE: ‘Heroic’ security guard killed in San Diego shooting ‘saved lives’ as three shot dead by two teen gunmen

Clark had been a wrestler at Madison High School during the 2024-25 season but did not attend the school as a student, according to NBC. A spokesperson for the San Diego Unified School District said Clark had been attending virtual classes and was due to graduate this month.

The 17-year-old’s grandfather, David Clark, 78, according the New York Post, said: “We’re very sorry for what happened. We know as much as you do. It’s a shock.”

San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said officers were called at 9.42am local time from a mum who reported a “runaway juvenile” who she believed was suicidal. The mother added that “several of her weapons” had vanished, as well as her car.

A shotgun with a sticker that said “SS” was also found near the crime scene. This appears to be a reference to Schutzstaffel, which enforced Adolf Hitler’s horror racial policies during Nazi Germany.

The mum also told the police that her son was with another person and she saw them both dressed in camouflage before reporting them to the cops. It is not clear if this missing teenager is one of the suspects in this case.

San Diego Police chief Scott Wahl said the attack was being investigated as a hate crime and said the “circumstances that led up to this” would come out in the days ahead.

On the mother who called the police before the attack, Wahl said: “She was beginning to develop a bigger picture as to what she was dealing with and was conveying that to our folks, and we were trying to put that together and get out in front of this as quickly as we could.”

The mother also found a note, Wahl said. He did not disclose its contents but said of the case: “There was definitely hate rhetoric that was involved.”

Amin Abdullah was reportedly one of the three people killed in the horrific attack. The security guard was described as a hero by parents of children who attended the Islamic Center of San Diego.

Sam Hamideh, speaking to CNN, said: “He wasn’t just some security guard. Knowing him for the past four years, I know that he knew he was sacrificing himself. If he didn’t take that bullet, they would easily have walked upstairs and then there’s just innocent eight and younger [children] and women, and people that couldn’t defend themselves.”

Wahl also praised the security guard and said: “Undoubtedly he saved lives today.” Police responded within four minutes of being called, Wahl said. As they arrived, gunshots rang out a few blocks away where a landscaper was shot at but uninjured.

The centre is the largest mosque in San Diego County and includes the Al Rashid School that offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages five and up, according to its website.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Before the first shot rang out at a San Diego mosque in a deadly shooting that would leave three men dead, police were already scrambling to find two teenagers who would ultimately be responsible.

The search began after a mother of one of the teenagers reported her son was suicidal and had run away, according to San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, who said weapons were missing from the home and her vehicle was gone.

Two hours later, the shooting began at the Islamic Center of San Diego, just blocks away from the home.

The suspects, ages 17 and 18, were found in a vehicle after killing themselves a few blocks from the site of the shooting.

Authorities planned to execute search warrants related to the investigation Tuesday as they piece together how and why the shooting unfolded. There was no specific threat made against the Islamic center, but authorities found evidence that the suspects engaged in “generalized hate rhetoric,” Wahl said, noting that the shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.

The center, which said it was closed until further notice, is the largest mosque in San Diego and typically holds five daily prayers.

“These were men who put themselves on the line for our masjid and our community,” the center wrote in a Facebook post, using the Arabic word for mosque. “Men of courage, sacrifice, and faith. Their absence leaves a void that can never truly be filled.”

On Monday morning, the search for the missing teen intensified as law enforcement began to gather more details. Police learned he had dressed in camouflage and was with an acquaintance. Officers used automated license plate readers to track the car and went to a mall in the area. They also alerted a school where at least one of the teens had been a student and continued interviewing the mother, Wahl said.

When reports of the shooting came in, police responded within four minutes of being called. Three men were dead when they arrived, Wahl said.

Among those killed was a security guard, who police believe “played a pivotal role” in keeping the attack from being “much worse,” Wahl said.

“It’s fair to say his actions were heroic,” the chief said at a news conference. “Undoubtedly he saved lives today.”

A family friend identified the guard as Amin Abdullah, a well-known face at the mosque who had worked there for more than a decade.

“He wanted to defend the innocent so he decided to become a security guard,” said Shaykh Uthman Ibn Farooq, who spoke with Abdullah’s son.

The family could not immediately be reached for comment.

The center called him “a courageous man who put himself on the line of the safety of others, who even in his last moments did not stop protecting our community.”

The mosque is in a neighborhood of homes, apartments and strip malls with Middle Eastern restaurants and markets. The center includes the Al Rashid School, which offers courses in Arabic language, Islamic studies and the Quran for students ages 5 and up, according to its website.

Aerial TV footage showed more than a dozen children holding hands and being walked out of the center’s parking lot as it was surrounded by scores of police vehicles.

Imam Taha Hassane, the mosque’s director, called it “extremely outrageous to target a place of worship,” adding that the center focused on interfaith relations and community building.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy groups in the U.S., condemned the shooting.

“No one should ever fear for their safety while attending prayers or studying at an elementary school,” CAIR-San Diego Executive Director Tazheen Nizam said in a statement.

President Donald Trump called the shooting a “terrible situation.”

___

Johnson reported from Seattle. Jaimie Ding in Los Angeles, Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.