Please have a look at the information below to make sure you’re up to date with Festive alterations to dates and timings that may impact access to your benefits over the Festive Period. This information is provided by the Department for Work and Pensions. Further information is available here. If you have any concerns or questions then please contact our Benefits and Welfare Adviser, Maureen Bello: maureen.bello@cds.coop.
Department for Work and Pensions Festive Opening Hours
- Friday 21st December Offices and Phone Lines: OPEN
- Monday 24th December Offices: CLOSED Phone Lines: OPEN for urgent payments only, CLOSE: 5 p.m.
- Tuesday 25th December Offices and Phone Lines: CLOSED
- Wednesday 26th December Offices and Phones: CLOSED
- Thursday 27th December Offices and Phone Lines: OPEN
- Friday 28th December Offices and Phone Lines: OPEN
- Monday 31st December Offices OPEN Phone Lines: OPEN (CLOSE 5.p.m)
- Tuesday 1st January Offices and Phones Lines: CLOSED
- Wednesday 2nd January Offices and Phone Lines: OPEN
Universal Credit
If a payment is due on Monday 24 December, Tuesday 25 December or Wednesday 26 December 2018, it will be paid on Monday 24 December 2018. This will be done automatically.
Customers will need to check the account they are paid into as early as possible on Monday 24 December 2018 and call the DWP on that day if they have not received their payment. Offices and phone lines will close at 5.p.m so make sure you call as soon as you can.
If a payment is due on Monday 31 December 2018 or Tuesday 1 January 2019 they will be paid on Monday 31 December 2018.
The details are shown in the table below. If the date is not shown then the usual payment date will apply.
| Payment due date | Payment date Universal Credit |
| 21 December 2018 | 21 December 2018 |
| 22 December 2018 | 21 December 2018 |
| 23 December 2018 | 21 December 2018 |
| 24 December 2018 | 24 December 2018 |
| 25 December 2018 | 24 December 2018 |
| 26 December 2018 | 24 December 2018 |
| 27 December 2018 | 27 December 2018 |
| 28 December 2018 | 28 December 2018 |
| 29 December 2018 | 28 December 2018 |
| 30 December 2018 | 28 December 2018 |
| 31 December 2018 | 31 December 2018 |
| 1 January 2019 | 31 December 2018 |
| 2 January 2019 | 2 January 2019 |
Other Benefits or Pensions (excluding Universal Credit)
If a payment is due on Friday 21 December, Monday 24 December, Tuesday 25 December or Wednesday 26 December 2018, it will be paid on Friday 21 December 2018. This will be done automatically.
Customer will need to check the account they are paid into as early as possible on Friday 21 December 2018 and contact the DWP on that day if they have not received their payment.
If a customer is due a payment on Monday 31 December 2018 or Tuesday 1 January 2019 they will be paid on Monday 31 December 2018.
If they are due a payment of ESA, JSA or IS on Wednesday 2 January 2019 they will be paid on Wednesday 2 January 2019.
If they are due a payment of any benefit excluding ESA, JSA or IS on Wednesday 2 January 2019 they will be paid on Monday 31 December 2018.
Again, they will need to check their account as early as possible on Monday 31 December 2018 and contact the DWP that day if they have not received their payment.
The payments dates are shown below. If the date is not shown then the usual payment date will apply.
| Payment due date | Payment date Other benefits |
| 21 December 2018 | 21 December 2018 |
| 22 December 2018 | 21 December 2018 |
| 23 December 2018 | 21 December 2018 |
| 24 December 2018 | 21 December 2018 |
| 25 December 2018 | 21 December 2018 |
| 26 December 2018 | 21 December 2018 |
| 27 December 2018 | 27 December 2018 |
| 28 December 2018 | 28 December 2018 |
| 29 December 2018 | 28 December 2018 |
| 30 December 2018 | 28 December 2018 |
| 31 December 2018 | 31 December 2018 |
| 1 January 2019 | 31 December 2018 |
| 2 January 2019: All benefits except ESA, JSA, and
Income Support (see below) |
31 December 2018 |
| 2 January 2019: ESA, JSA and Income Support | 2 January 2019 |
Contact Details if there are Payment Issues
Universal Credit:
If the customer has a Universal Credit online account they should use their journal to contact or call 0800 328 5644 (textphone 0800 328 1344).
If they do not have a Universal Credit online account they need to call 0800 328 9344 (text phone 0800 328 1344)
For all other benefits:
0800 169 0310 (text phone 0800 169 0314).
