As the expense of Christmas sits on the horizon and the effects of the rising cost of living continues to hit households, this year’s payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) are particularly important. Many will be keeping an eye on when cash will be deposited in accounts.
This year, Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, and Boxing Day is on a Monday and means that the Christmas bank holidays have been shifted around.
The Boxing Day bank holiday will fall on December 26 as normal, but because Christmas Day falls on a Sunday this year, December 27 has instead been designated as a substitute bank holiday.
One benefit that will be impacted by the changing dates this festive period is Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
PIP helps Britons with long-term physical disabilities and mental health conditions with their extra living costs.
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As a result of the changing bank holidays, PIP claimants who would normally expect to get their payments on December 26 or 27 should be paid on the Friday before.
This will make the payment date Friday, 23 December.
Similarly, as New Year’s Day 2023 is on a Sunday, the bank holiday will be on Monday, January 2 .
This means PIP claimants due their payment on that day will once again be paid early on Friday, December 30.
DON’T MISS
Benefit claimants are urged to keep an eye on their bank accounts to make sure they receive the payment.
If it doesn’t arrive on the expected dates, people can call the DWP’s PIP helpline on 0800 121 4433.
The helpline is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, but is closed at weekends and on bank holidays.
This means claimants must contact the support line as soon as they can and before the bank holidays, if they miss it, then they could be waiting even longer for their payments.
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While the idea of receiving the money early may be welcome during the festive season, claimants are warned the money will need to last a little bit longer until the following month’s payments go in.
Paid every four weeks, PIP is made up of a daily living part and a mobility part which themselves are split into two components.
The standard rate for daily living sits at £61.85 and the enhanced rate is £92.40.
For the mobility component, which is extra if people need help getting around, the standard rate is £24.45 per week and the enhanced rate is £64.50 per week.
Britons are able to claim both components if they need it and can be eligible for any combination of the different amounts.
If a person is eligible for both enhanced payments then they could claim up to £627.60 each month.
Once a person has sent their claim, the DWP assesses it and looks at how a person’s condition impacts normal daily activities and grants them the benefit based on the severity of their condition.
Sometimes, the DWP will need to conduct an assessment in order to accept someone’s claim for PIP.
If someone is invited to attend a PIP assessment, as part of a new claim or an award review, it could be in-person, over the phone or by video call.
The assessment is “not a diagnosis or a medical examination”, but instead serves as an opportunity for a person to talk about how their condition affects them.
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