MILLIONS of people will receive essential financial support before the August bank holiday weekend, as the Government has confirmed that benefit payments will be brought forward to:- Friday, 28 August 2026.

The early payment arrangement will apply to all major benefits including Universal Credit, State Pension, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, and Disability Living Allowance, ensuring that payments originally scheduled for 31 August reach recipients on time. 

This will provide financial certainty for families as they prepare for the new school year, allowing parents and carers to plan their spending with confidence, particularly at a time when the cost of living is high.  

It comes as the Prime Minister’s is delivering on his pledge to give families breathing space with a raft of announcements to tackle the cost of living including capping bus fares at £2, cutting tax on household energy bills and ending subscription traps with new "easy to exit" rules. 

Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms said:- “We're pleased to confirm that benefit payments due on the August bank holiday will be paid earlier. This will help ensure families and older people receive their money without disruption over the bank holiday period. This Government is determined to ensure people up and down the country have the support and breathing room they need, which is why we’ve acted to take money off energy bills, increase the National Minimum Wage and lift half a million children out of poverty, as well as supporting people into good, secure jobs." 

The government is supporting families and tackling the cost-of-living head on by:- 

• Providing free school meals to every single child from a household that claims Universal Credit – a historic step backed by over £1 billion in funding that will lift 100,000 children out of poverty. 
• Expanding childcare and rolling out free breakfast clubs across the country and giving parents back up to 95 hours a year and saving them £450. 
• Increasing the national living wage - worth £900 a year from next year for a full-time worker. 
• Taking £150 of costs off energy bills for the years ahead. 
• Our landmark Child Poverty Strategy, which will lift 550,000 children out of poverty in 2030 through schemes such as Free School Meals and expanding childcare. 
• Our £1bn Crisis and Resilience Fund, which will act as a genuine safety net to prevent families from falling into crises, giving local authorities the funding and flexibility to design support that works for their communities. 

As we bear down on the cost of living, we’re also supporting sick or disabled people into good, secure jobs backed by £3.5billion by the end of the parliament. This includes Connect to Work which is now operating in every area of the country – unlocking work, helping people to move out of poverty and driving growth in every postcode. 

We’re also deployed 1,000 Pathways to Work advisers who are supporting people on Universal Credit with no requirement to look for work, move closer to jobs, as well as working with employers to deliver our Jobs Guarantee, ensuring every young person has the chance to earn or learn.