When will DLA be paid over Christmas?

My partner is due incapacity benefit payment for December 28th and DLA every Monday which will be boxing day, Will he get an early payment?

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  • jamespir
    jamespir Posts: 21,456 Forumite
    My partner is due incapacity benefit payment for December 28th and DLA every Monday which will be boxing day, Will he get an early payment?

    you should still get that on the 28th cause banks are open on that day
    not sure about dla though
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  • Sarah69
    Sarah69 Posts: 450
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    My DLA is due on the 27th but have been told it will be in my bank account on the 22nd.
  • duchy
    duchy Posts: 19,511
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    edited 19 December 2011 at 8:33AM
    jamespir wrote: »
    you should still get that on the 28th cause banks are open on that day
    not sure about dla though

    Looking at directgov this doesn't look to be correct -see http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/TaxCredits/Paymentsandentitlement/payments/DG_175664
    It appears the 28th is a NI bank holiday and it says any day payment is due when it's a bank holiday anywhere in the UK payment is made early (This page refers to tax credits but I can't see that DLA would be any different)
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  • My DLA payment is due on Boxing Day & my ESA is due on the 27th. Can you please tell me when both of these will now be paid? Many Thanx, Pauline
  • Clementi
    Clementi Posts: 3 Newbie
    edited 14 December 2012 at 7:00AM
    Based on previous years, the bank holiday thing doesn't always indicate when you'll get your payment.

    It usually works like this...

    Because the Bank Holidays mean that benefits due on those days are paid earlier (usually a few days before not the previous day), this means that ALL benefits due during those weeks get bumped forward.

    For example, I normally get one payment two-weekly on a Friday and my DLA every week on a Wednesday. Technically, neither are Bank Holidays (although the 26th is questionable).

    However, most years, I get my Friday payment due on 21st Dec on the Thursday (despite the Friday NOT being a Bank Holiday) because all those people whose benefits ARE due directly ON Christmas Day (25th) get them on Friday. So they seem to bump people forward (regardless of what they say on their website). I've been on benefits such as these for two decades and this is how it normally works. If you ring them, you'll be told any number of things ranging from "no idea" to "probably late" (depending on how mean they're feeling usually!) Even if Christmas day isn't on the Monday, which it obviously isn't this year, they still normally bump them forward to the previous week, despite claiming they don't! The "Christmas Week" principle applies to payments due during that week, nearly all (probably all) payments due that week will be early as I've indicated above. For New Year's Week payments, it can be slightly more random but always early.

    But, based purely on my previous experience, I normally anticipate getting my Friday benefits (which are due 21st) the day before, the 20th (Thursday). DLA can be a bit random but is ALWAYS earlier rather than late, ALWAYS, ALWAYS.

    So, it may be that Christmas week on Monday I get two payments (for that week and the following week), but that's harder to predict as the 2nd isn't a bank holiday, so they may only pay Christmas week's early (this part of my reply relates to DLA-weekly payments only).

    But, don't panic, they always do come through early. Ignore anyone who tries to ruin your Christmas by saying it'll be late.

    However, don't hold me to the specific days as they CAN vary.

    Hope that helps. (Also hope it makes sense! - it's because of the volume of payments - so, if they bring forward one day (ie a Bank Holiday), they tend to bump forward the previous day's too and kind of stagger them otherwise the BACS system goes into meltdown (as has happened occasionally with the DWP and BACS!)

    So, the trick is, keep checking your bank account around those days. One day, you'll find it's there! They won't pre-warn or explain, it'll just be there! Special DWP logic!

    (PS Signed up to post this as I know how worrying it can be and, on previous years, I've only found out how it works by relying on other people who have thought to post it, so I really hope this alleviates someone's concern or worry).
  • Clementi
    Clementi Posts: 3 Newbie
    edited 14 December 2012 at 7:11AM
    Sarah69 wrote: »
    My DLA is due on the 27th but have been told it will be in my bank account on the 22nd.

    Yes, I think this is right - it's based on the "Christmas Week" principle the DWP seem to specialize in! However, 22nd is a Saturday, so you'll probably get it on 21st, unless your bank has a weekend clearing policy (which mine does), so it clears Monday's payments on Saturday morning according to my banking app! So, if a payment is due to clear Monday (BACS only, not cheques which you have to wait till the Monday for), will usually clear just after midnight on Saturday morning or, occasionally, after 9am on the Saturday.

    As I said in post above, Christmas week payments come through early, regardless of Bank Holiday status. New Year's week are slightly more random but always early.
  • gov.uk/how-to-have-your-benefits-paid

    This is what I found hope it helps
  • Kibbleskim wrote: »
    gov.uk/how-to-have-your-benefits-paid

    This is what I found hope it helps
    The site wont let me put the hyper link in as I am new to this site, so if you copy and paste my link into search engine

    gov.uk/how-to-have-your-benefits-paid

    you should be able to get to the right page.:beer:
  • Druagh
    Druagh Posts: 93 Forumite
    https://www.gov.uk/how-to-have-your-benefits-paid

    These are the official variations to benefits due dates. Any discrepancies (other than specific errors) in when payments arrive in accounts are due to the processes of the banks or specific bank accounts.

    The only complication this year is that the 24th is being included as it is a Monday (therefore sandwiched between four non-banking days).

    Ignore any convoluted theories on how the the payment system works and please don't depend on a payment arriving early when the DWP has not said it will.
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