April State Pension paid early to avoid increase?

molerat

zagfles said:

Even Easter shouldn't be a problem with the way English bank holidays usually work. If Easter Mon is on 3rd or 4th April and you're due a payment on that date it'll be moved back to March. But the next payment due date would be 1st or 2nd May, which as first Mon in May is also usually a bank holiday, so it would be moved back to April.

Don't know how it works in Scotland, whether DWP use English or Scottish bank hols, but they have 2 bank hols at the start of Jan which could be issue eg last year 3rd and 4th Jan were bank hols.

The banking system in Scotland works to English rules - although branches may be closed - so any payments out of the UK DWP system are according to that.  Don't know how the few Scottish only benefits are paid though.

badmemory

Sorry about the Scottish new year BHs but I was under the impression that the DWP still paid on that second one.

molerat

badmemory said:

Sorry about the Scottish new year BHs but I was under the impression that the DWP still paid on that second one.

Some people up here get most confused when all their DDs come out on 2nd Jan.

GrubbyGirl_2

naomigilchrist said:

Has anyone else noticed that their State Pension has been paid early this month BEFORE the increase date (10th April) and WITHOUT the 10.1% increase? Call me cynical but I can’t help but think that this is a deliberate policy on behalf of the government to avoid paying the increase this month! My husband’s pension has always been paid AFTER 10th of the month and yet miraculously it was paid on 6th April this month when the increase takes affect from 10th April…

I'm confused.  The state pension is paid in arrears isn't it?  Surely then anything before 10th April is for the previous 4 weeks so paid at the old rate anyway so the fact you got it a few days early is irrelevant isn't it?

badmemory

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

…

I'm confused.  The state pension is paid in arrears isn't it?  Surely then anything before 10th April is for the previous 4 weeks so paid at the old rate anyway so the fact you got it a few days early is irrelevant isn't it?

Some people who have been getting their pension for a few years and being paid weekly are getting it paid in advance.  It is why when someone older dies they may have pension to be repaid even if the tell us once service is used, whereas more modern pensioners are more likely to have an amount due to them.

GrubbyGirl_2

badmemory said:

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

…

I'm confused.  The state pension is paid in arrears isn't it?  Surely then anything before 10th April is for the previous 4 weeks so paid at the old rate anyway so the fact you got it a few days early is irrelevant isn't it?

Some people who have been getting their pension for a few years and being paid weekly are getting it paid in advance.  It is why when someone older dies they may have pension to be repaid even if the tell us once service is used, whereas more modern pensioners are more likely to have an amount due to them.

Aaah ok, thanks for explaining

spaniel101

badmemory said:

GrubbyGirl_2 said:

…

I'm confused.  The state pension is paid in arrears isn't it?  Surely then anything before 10th April is for the previous 4 weeks so paid at the old rate anyway so the fact you got it a few days early is irrelevant isn't it?

Some people who have been getting their pension for a few years and being paid weekly are getting it paid in advance.  It is why when someone older dies they may have pension to be repaid even if the tell us once service is used, whereas more modern pensioners are more likely to have an amount due to them.

Indeed, my Mother receives hers weekly, has been in receipt of SP for 16 years.   

27th March - Old rate
3rd April      - Old rate
10th April    - New Rate - Paid early on 6th April !