Universal Credit due Friday 1 January 2027
paid on Thursday 31 December 2026. Status: derived from the rule. DWP had not published a Christmas 2026 date list that we could find.
Money · Christmas 2026
Christmas 2026 benefit payment dates
GOV.UK says a benefit due on a weekend or bank holiday is usually paid on the working day before. For Christmas 2026 that means payments due 25 to 28 December are usually paid on Thursday 24 December, and payments due 1 to 3 January on Thursday 31 December. These are rule-derived dates, not a published DWP list.
Thu 24 DecUsual payment date for anything due 25 to 28 December
Check when your payment is made over Christmas 2026
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Enter the date your payment is normally due, between 21 December 2026 and 8 January 2027. If you are paid weekly or every 2 or 4 weeks, use the date of your next payment in that period.
Friday 1 January 2027: paid on Thursday 31 December 2026
- Friday 1 January 2027 is a bank holiday in England and Wales (New Year's Day); under GOV.UK's rule it is paid on the working day before.
- Status: derived from the rule. DWP had not published a Christmas 2026 date list that we could find.
Dates marked derived apply GOV.UK's working-day-before rule to GOV.UK's bank holiday dates. Always check your own payment on your online account or bank statement.
Worked answers
Four worked answers from this checker
Each button loads the example into the checker above.
Benefit due Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December
paid on Thursday 24 December 2026. Status: derived from the rule. DWP had not published a Christmas 2026 date list that we could find.
Scotland, payment due Monday 4 January 2027
paid on Thursday 31 December 2026. Status: derived from the rule. DWP had not published a Christmas 2026 date list that we could find.
Child Benefit due Monday 28 December
paid on Thursday 24 December 2026. Status: confirmed on GOV.UK.
Every date
Payment date table, 21 December 2026 to 8 January 2027
Most DWP benefits, using GOV.UK's working-day-before rule. Derived dates, not an official DWP list.
| If your payment is due | Paid in England and Wales | Paid in Scotland | Paid in Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 21 Dec | Same day | Same day | Same day |
| Tue 22 Dec | Same day | Same day | Same day |
| Wed 23 Dec | Same day | Same day | Same day |
| Thu 24 Dec | Same day | Same day | Same day |
| Fri 25 Dec | Thu 24 Dec (Christmas Day) | Thu 24 Dec (Christmas Day) | Thu 24 Dec (Christmas Day) |
| Sat 26 Dec | Thu 24 Dec (weekend) | Thu 24 Dec (weekend) | Thu 24 Dec (weekend) |
| Sun 27 Dec | Thu 24 Dec (weekend) | Thu 24 Dec (weekend) | Thu 24 Dec (weekend) |
| Mon 28 Dec | Thu 24 Dec (Boxing Day (substitute day)) | Thu 24 Dec (Boxing Day (substitute day)) | Thu 24 Dec (Boxing Day (substitute day)) |
| Tue 29 Dec | Same day | Same day | Same day |
| Wed 30 Dec | Same day | Same day | Same day |
| Thu 31 Dec | Same day | Same day | Same day |
| Fri 1 Jan | Thu 31 Dec (New Year's Day) | Thu 31 Dec (New Year's Day) | Thu 31 Dec (New Year's Day) |
| Sat 2 Jan | Thu 31 Dec (weekend) | Thu 31 Dec (weekend) | Thu 31 Dec (weekend) |
| Sun 3 Jan | Thu 31 Dec (weekend) | Thu 31 Dec (weekend) | Thu 31 Dec (weekend) |
| Mon 4 Jan | Same day | Thu 31 Dec (2 January (substitute day)) | Same day |
| Tue 5 Jan | Same day | Same day | Same day |
| Wed 6 Jan | Same day | Same day | Same day |
| Thu 7 Jan | Same day | Same day | Same day |
| Fri 8 Jan | Same day | Same day | Same day |
Bank holidays used (GOV.UK, opened 29 October 2026): Friday 25 December 2026, Monday 28 December 2026 (Boxing Day substitute day) and Friday 1 January 2027 in all three nations, plus Monday 4 January 2027 in Scotland. GOV.UK: UK bank holidays.
Confirmed by HMRC
Child Benefit over Christmas 2026
Child Benefit is different: GOV.UK says it is usually paid on a different date than usual if it is due on a bank holiday, and publishes a table. These are the rows in that table for the festive period:
| Due date | Payment date | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Monday 28 December 2026 | Thursday 24 December 2026 | All nations |
| Tuesday 29 December 2026 | Wednesday 30 December 2026 | Northern Ireland only |
The table has no row for other festive dates. GOV.UK also says a payment might be delayed if the bank is closed for a public holiday in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Do not count forward if your payment was due on a bank holiday. GOV.UK: Child Benefit payment dates, bank holidays.
What is confirmed and what is derived
Where these dates come from
- GOV.UK's guide to how benefits are paid says: if your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday you will usually be paid on the working day before. It adds that this may be different for Child Benefit. GOV.UK: how and when your benefits are paid.
- The Universal Credit page says the same: after the first payment you are paid on the same date every month, and if that falls on a weekend or a bank holiday you are paid on the working day before. GOV.UK: Universal Credit, how you're paid.
- State Pension is paid on a weekday that depends on the last two digits of your National Insurance number. GOV.UK says you might be paid earlier if your normal payment day is a bank holiday. GOV.UK: State Pension, when you're paid.
- We searched GOV.UK on 29 October 2026 and did not find a DWP list of Christmas 2026 payment dates. So the dates in the DWP column and table are derived from the rule, not announced. Only the Child Benefit rows above are listed by HMRC.
- Benefits in Northern Ireland are run by the Department for Communities. This page applies GOV.UK's rule to Northern Ireland's bank holidays; we have not found a Department for Communities Christmas 2026 notice, so check nidirect if you get a Northern Ireland benefit.
- We do not list exceptions we cannot source, such as individual arrangements for people paid by cheque, or local agreements. If your payment does not arrive when expected, contact the office that pays it.
Related
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Helpful answers
Christmas 2026 benefit payment FAQs.
Will my benefits be paid early over Christmas 2026?
Usually, yes, if the normal date falls on a weekend or bank holiday. GOV.UK says those payments are usually made on the working day before. Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) and Boxing Day's substitute day (Monday 28 December) are bank holidays, so a payment due from Friday 25 to Monday 28 December is usually paid on Thursday 24 December. This is derived from the rule: we did not find a published DWP list for 2026.
When is Universal Credit paid on New Year's Day 2027?
New Year's Day, Friday 1 January 2027, is a bank holiday in all UK nations, and 2 and 3 January are a weekend. Under GOV.UK's rule, a Universal Credit payment due on any of those three days is paid on the working day before, Thursday 31 December 2026. In Scotland, Monday 4 January 2027 is also a bank holiday, so a payment due that day is paid on Thursday 31 December too.
When is Child Benefit paid at Christmas 2026?
HMRC's table on GOV.UK lists two festive rows: a payment due on Monday 28 December 2026 is paid on Thursday 24 December, and a payment due on Tuesday 29 December 2026 is paid on Wednesday 30 December in Northern Ireland only. GOV.UK has no row for other festive dates, so check your HMRC payment history for those.
Are the payment dates different in Scotland and Northern Ireland?
The bank holidays differ a little. In Scotland, Monday 4 January 2027 is a bank holiday as well as 25 December, 28 December and 1 January. England, Wales and Northern Ireland have the same three festive bank holidays in this period. GOV.UK's Child Benefit table also has a Northern Ireland-only row.
How do I find my State Pension payment day?
GOV.UK says the day your State Pension is paid depends on your National Insurance number, and that you might be paid earlier if your normal payment day is a bank holiday. Enter your next payment date in the checker above to see the earlier date under the working-day-before rule.
What if my payment does not arrive?
Check your online account or bank statement first, because banks can take a day to show a payment. For Child Benefit, GOV.UK says payments might be delayed if the bank is closed for a public holiday. Otherwise contact the office that pays your benefit; for Universal Credit that is your journal or the helpline.
Sources, opened 29 October 2026: GOV.UK, how and when your benefits are paid; Universal Credit, how you're paid; Child Benefit bank holidays; State Pension, when you're paid; UK bank holidays. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. A guide, not an official payment notice.