DWP Easter payments: When to expect Universal Credit, PIP & other benefits to be paid | Personal Finance | Finance

Easter Sunday lands on April 17 this year, with April 15 and 18 also being bank holidays. Because of this, DWP and HMRC offices will be closed for the Easter long weekend, meaning benefit recipients could expect their payments as early as Thursday.

The DWP and HMRC have confirmed the changes to upcoming payment dates this week. 

The changes have been made to ensure that everyone still receives their payments despite offices being closed for the long weekend. 

Essentially, the Easter weekend spans from April 15 to April 18, with recipients expecting payments during this date likely to receive them on April 14 instead.

DWP and HMRC payment dates are listed below for affected benefits. 

It is meant to help benefit payments stay in line with inflation and afford recipients the same purchasing power as time goes on. 

However, there has been some criticism of whether this rise will be enough. 

At the time the rise was finalised, CPI was measured to be 3.1 percent. 

Since then inflation has skyrocketed and so has household bills due to the energy price cap rise at the beginning of this month. 

Inflation is expected to breach eight percent by the end of the year, leaving the current 3.1 percent rise far from keeping up.