April 2025 Easter weekend payment dates for benefits and pensions

Spring has officially begun, and with it a new financial year that promises higher revenue for millions – counteracted by higher costs. This is because April is also the time of year where most accounts rise, which makes it necessary to keep abreast of all the support you can receive.

Households gained from various income connections in April, for both those inside and outside the work. All DWP-equipped benefits increased by 1.7 percent as the state pension rose 4.1 percent in accordance with the triple lock. The minimum wage also rose by 6.7 percent inflation, which will pay millions of workers a bumper £ 1,400.

But there is also bad news. Household bills have now seen major increases, including energy, water and advice taxes.

Many people will also be concerned about Labor’s recently announced changes to the welfare system. What is the cut of £ 5m will see the rates for universal credit change next year, followed by the criteria to claim the tightening of the Personal Independence (PIP).

Meanwhile, the latest figures of millions of low -income households paint a gloomy picture of the economic situation of the United Kingdom. The latest research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that more than 1 in 5 people in the UK (21 percent) were in poverty in 2022/23 – 14.3 million. It consists of 8.1 million adults in the working age, 4.3 million children and 1.9 million pensioners.

Against this difficult economic background, here is an overview of the financial support available in April, and the most important dates for benefit and state pensioners to note:

Benefit Payment Dates in April

Benefit payments go out for the most part as normal, But there are some exceptions to be aware of the Easter weekend. Those who expect a payment on April 18 (Good Friday) or April 21 (Easter Monday) must be paid on Thursday 17 April.

Benefit payments include:

Visit the government’s website for more information on how and when state benefits are paid.

The DWP is aimed at completing the migration of all ‘legacy benefits’ to universal credit by January 2026. Those who receive tax credits, income support, job seeker’s allowance and housing benefit should already have received a notice on the move to universal credit.

A report from the Policy in Practice this year shows that almost £ 23 billion is unclaimed per year – they offer a useful calculator to find out what you are entitled to.

Have you recently had problems with the DWP? Contact by email: albert.toth@independent.co.uk

Pension payment dates in March

The basic state pension is paid directly into bank accounts, similar to how benefits are paid. It is usually paid every four weeks, with the exact day you receive it, which corresponds to the last two digits of your National Insurance (NI).

Here you have to be paid based on the numbers:

Will the benefits rates rise in April?

In April, all benefits will be increased by 1.7 percent, corresponding to the September 2024 inflation rate.

Meanwhile, in accordance with the Triple Lock, the state pension will increase by 4.1 percent – £ 472 per year – corresponding to wage growth in 2024.

Things will change slightly for Universal Credit claimants next year after Labor’s welfare announcements. Everyone who receives the standard allowance of the benefit will rise from April 2026 a one-time on top of inflation by £ 7 a week, taking it from £ 91 to £ 98.

However, the rate of the additional Universal Credit Health element will be frozen at £ 97 to 2029/30 from 2026 (although those in this group will receive the increased standard allowance).

In addition, any new claimants for the health element will receive a large reduced rate of £ 50 per week after April 2026 – nearly £ 2500 less than the current level. This means that it is a good idea for anyone who thinks they may be eligible to apply as soon as they can.

Other help available

Budget forecasts

The government offers a ‘budget advance’ for people at universal credit who have an emergency. The loan has a maximum refund period of two years.

These loans are interest -free and are automatically deducted from universal credit payments. You can borrow a ‘advance’ from to:

After the October labor budget, a new cap is set to the amount that the DWP can deduct from benefit payments to repay loans and debt, including advance loans.

As of April 2025, deductions from Universal Credit at 15 percent of the standard allowance will be lower than 25 percent.

Charity grants

If you are struggling financially, you may be eligible for certain charities. Depending on your circumstances, a wide range of grants is available.

However, these grants will usually require you to meet specific criteria and only offer limited funds.

Charity grants are available to people who are disabled or sick, caregivers, grieving, unemployed, students – and many more. The Charity Turn2us has an online instrument to seek grants available to you.

Energy provider help

A number of energy providers provide assistance for those struggling with their energy bills. These include Scottish Power, EDF, E.ON and Octopus. It is worth contacting your energy supplier to find out if you are eligible.

British Gas also offers an award of up to £ 2,000 to clients of any energy supplier. You must meet specific criteria to be eligible, and can apply to the British Gas Energy Trust website.

Council tax reduction

If you meet certain criteria or have certain benefits, you may apply for a discount on your tax rebate from your board of up to 100 percent.

Your local council can still provide you with a discretionary reduction if you can demonstrate that you are facing serious hardships and cannot afford to pay your council tax.

To apply for a tax tax reduction, your local council can contact the government’s website.

Up to 30 hours of free childcare

All working parents in the UK are currently entitled to 30 hours of free childcare for children between 3 and 4 years. From April 1, 2024, this right expanded to 15 hours of free childcare for 2-year-olds.

From September 1, it has been expanded again to include all children from the age of nine months.

You must apply online and confirm your suitability every three months, in time for each school term. Working parents can also apply for tax -free childcare, and return 20p for every 80p you put to childcare, up to a maximum of £ 500 per year.

The final expansion to free childcare, which comes in September 2025, will be eligible for 30 hours under five.

Energy Price Cap: Does it go up in April?

Ofgem’s energy mitality has risen from £ 1.738 to £ 1.849 for April to June – an increase of 6.4. This is the third consecutive increase in the number, and it will mean an average increase of £ 9.25 per month from the current rate.

The energy shop is the maximum amount of energy suppliers you can charge for each unit of energy if you are on a standard variable rate. This includes most households. It is expressed as an annual account for an average home.

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