Pensioners’ urgent warning over State Pension payment date

Millions of people who receive payments from the DWP for Universal Credit, State Pensions, PIP and other benefits have been reminded ahead of payment date changes due to the August bank holiday next Monday.

While it may be a welcome boost for some people, it will mean the payment has to last longer, and some charities have said it can place extra pressure on already tight budgets.

Why are pension payments changing this week?

Monday, August 31, is a bank holiday when payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) won’t be made.

If you are due to receive a DWP benefit payment that day, you will now receive it this week – on Friday, August 28.

If your payment is due on a different day, it will arrive in your account as normal, and the amount you are due to be paid will remain the same.

Why does this happen?

When a payment date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, the Department for Work and Pensions says the claimant is generally paid on the working day before, but this can vary.

In a new statement, Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said: “We’re pleased to confirm that benefit payments due on the August bank holiday will be paid earlier.

“This will help ensure families and older people receive their money without disruption over the bank holiday period.”

He added: “This Government is determined to ensure people up and down the country have the support and breathing room they need, which is why we’ve acted to take money off energy bills, increase the National Minimum Wage and lift half a million children out of poverty, as well as supporting people into good, secure jobs.”

This bank holiday, we are paying certain benefits early – on Friday 28 August

Find out more: https://t.co/g9Fv2Cn9go pic.twitter.com/C8v4Dg2uqT

— Department for Work and Pensions (@DWPgovuk) August 14, 2026

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These are the benefits that will be affected by the bank holiday weekend:

• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Child Benefit 
• Disability Living Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance 
• Income Support
• Jobseeker’s Allowance 
• Pension Credit 
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• State pension 
• Tax Credits 
• Universal Credit

While you may be paid earlier in some cases, the money will also have to last you longer, as payment dates will return to normal afterwards.

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Why do payments change in areas that don’t have a bank holiday?

Even when a bank holiday doesn’t fall in all areas of the UK, such as different holidays in Scotland, DWP payments will still be paid earlier. This is because payments are made centrally.

The two remaining bank holidays for 2026 fall on Christmas Day and December 28, as Boxing Day falls on a Saturday this year. 

Will you be impacted by the payment date change? Let us know in the comments.