May bank holiday 2026 payment dates for universal credit, benefits and pensions plus cost of living support
The article outlines upcoming changes to benefit and pension payment dates in May 2026 due to bank holidays, emphasizing the importance of timely payments during a period of ongoing cost of living pressures. It highlights that inflation has risen slightly, increasing financial strain on UK households, with many cutting back on essentials. The piece encourages individuals to claim all entitled benefits, noting billions of pounds go unclaimed annually.
- ▪Inflation rose to 3.3 per cent in March, signaling a renewed increase in household costs.
- ▪Around 63 per cent of Brits have cut back on essential spending due to rising prices.
- ▪The state pension increased by 4.8 per cent in April in line with annual earnings growth.
- ▪Approximately £24 billion in benefits goes unclaimed each year in the UK.
- ▪About one in three people in the UK receive some form of DWP-administered benefits, including state pension payments.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
NewsUKHome NewsMay bank holiday 2026 payment dates for universal credit, benefits and pensions plus cost of living supportAll the essential cost of living information whether claiming benefits or notAlbert Toth Saturday 16 May 2026 11:20 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"CF1:2968592To1","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/dwp-payment-dates-may-bank-holiday-2026-cost-of-living-pensions-benefits-b2977854.html","title":"May bank holiday DWP payment date changes confirmed for benefits and pensions"}}Martin Lewis shares…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at The Independent.
Discussion
0 commentsMore from The Independent
