The two bank holiday weekends in May, falling on Monday May 4 and Monday May 25, will disrupt opening hours for these centres and their phone lines.
Bank holidays are typically not regarded as working days, even within government departments, meaning the extended weekends have the potential to cause significant disruption for those needing to contact departments or awaiting updates and payments.
The DWP confirmed on X that Jobcentre Plus offices and phone lines will operate as normal on Friday, May 1, and will only reopen on Tuesday, May 5. Even those accessing their Universal Credit accounts online may only receive a response once the bank holiday has passed.
The second May bank holiday later in the month is expected to follow a similar pattern, with offices and phone lines remaining closed on May 25 and reopening on Tuesday, May 26.
DWP payments due on May 4 and May 25 will not be processed on these dates, as banks will largely be closed and unable to handle transactions.
As a result, the majority of benefit and state pension recipients expecting payments on these dates will instead receive them on the last working day beforehand.
Benefit and state pension claimants may notice several alterations to their payments in May as the annual increases will take effect for the first time for some, while the bank holidays could result in thousands receiving payments several days earlier than anticipated.
For those scheduled to receive payments on May 4, the first working day beforehand is Friday, May 1. Likewise, those expecting payments on May 25 will instead receive them on May 22, the DWP has confirmed.
Benefits that will be affected by both bank holidays:
- Universal Credit
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Child Benefits
- Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
- Attendance Allowance
State pension payments will also be impacted by both bank holidays. Individuals expecting these early payments won’t need to take any action and their payments will revert to their usual dates from June onwards.
It can prove more challenging to budget effectively when payment dates are shifted. This can mean the same sum of money must cover four additional days before your regular payment date arrives, especially as April’s bank holidays also caused disruption.