DWP confirms unexpected £424.90 payments for households before June

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be sending unexpected early £424.90 payments into the bank accounts of eligible UK households in May.

The payments come as a result of the spring bank holiday at the end of this month, meaning some households claiming Universal Credit will receive their money earlier than normal. The DWP has already issued early Universal Credit payments to some households this month due to the early May bank holiday on May 4, and with a second bank holiday falling at the end of May, payments will again be disrupted before returning to normal in June.

Universal Credit can be claimed by households on a low income who need help with living costs and thanks to an above-inflation increase on April 6, the standard allowance is now worth £424.90 per month for those who are single and aged 25 or over.

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Of course, the amount you get per month will vary depending on your circumstances, with single claimants under 25 paid at a lower monthly rate of £338.58.

As for joint claimants, those under 25 can now get £528.34 per month, while those aged 25 or over can get £666.97 per month under the new rates.

Confirming the payment changes from April 2026 at the end of last year, UK Parliament said: "From April 2026 the basic amount of Universal Credit will increase above inflation annually, but health-related additions will be reduced for most new recipients.

"Universal Credit (UC) awards are calculated by working out a claimant's maximum entitlement. This comprises a 'standard allowance' - the basic amount for the adult(s) in the household - plus additional elements for different needs and circumstances. It can include an element for people who have been found to have a 'limited capability for work and work-related activity' (the 'LCWRA element') because of a disability or health condition.

"The government says claimants are struggling to get by on the existing standard allowance, and that the high relative rate of the LCWRA element creates 'perverse' incentives for UC claimants to be found to have LCWRA. Once people are on the LCWRA element, the government argues, they are no longer routinely supported or encouraged to work, and people in this group move into work at low rates."

Universal Credit is paid by the DWP on a monthly basis, but when a payment date falls on a weekend or a bank holiday, payments will instead be issued on the earliest working day before, meaning some claimants will have to make their cash last a little longer than normal before their next payment arrives in June.

So if your Universal Credit payment is due the same day as the May spring bank holiday on Monday, May 25, the DWP will instead pay you three days earlier on Friday, May 22

.

The DWP said: "After the first payment, you'll be paid on the same date of every month. If your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday, you'll be paid on the working day before.

"You can see your monthly statement in your online account. This tells you how much Universal Credit you're going to get."

If your Universal Credit payment date is changing this month you don't need to do anything as your money will be paid straight into your usual bank, building society or credit union account.