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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Benefits and money
    3. Benefits and financial support
    4. Guide to benefits
    5. Before claiming a benefit

    How benefits and pensions are paid

    Benefits are usually paid straight into your bank, building society or credit union account.

    How often you’re paid

    Benefit How often it's paid
    Attendance Allowance Usually every four weeks
    Carer’s Allowance Weekly in advance, or every four or 13 weeks
    Child Benefit Usually every four weeks, or weekly if you’re a single parent or you or your partner are getting certain benefits
    Disability Living Allowance Usually every four weeks
    Employment and Support Allowance Usually every two weeks
    Income Support Usually every two weeks
    Jobseeker's Allowance Usually every two weeks
    Pension Credit Usually every four weeks
    Personal Independence Payment Usually every four weeks
    State Pension Usually every four weeks
    Universal Credit Twice monthly

    Bank holidays

    If your payment is due on a bank holiday, you will usually be paid on the last working day before the holiday.

    • Bank holidays

    How your benefits are paid

    You’ll be asked for your bank, building society or credit union account details when you claim. You can normally only get paid in a different way if you have problems opening or managing an account.

    If you cannot open or manage a bank, building society or credit union account you should contact the office that pays your benefit to find out how to get it paid.

    Choosing a payment method

    If you do not have a bank, building society or credit union account you can set up a new one to have your benefit or pension payments paid into.

    To help you choose a payment method that is right for your circumstances, support services are available via:

    • a dedicated helpline 0800 085 7133
    • Advice NI on 0800 915 4604 
    • MoneyHelper (previously Money Advice Service)  on 0800 138 7777
    • Age NI on 0808 808 7575 for advice and advocacy for those aged 50 and over
    • the Make the Call Wraparound Service  is available for support and benefits advice

    Guardian’s Allowance 

    You can get the money paid into any account, apart from a Nationwide Building Society account in someone else’s name.

    Child Benefit

    You can get the money paid into any account, apart from a Nationwide cash builder account (sort code 070030) in someone else’s name.

    Paying back benefits

    You can repay any benefits and allowances you get but feel you don’t need.

    Write to the department that paid the benefit. Their address will be on any letter you’ve received from them.

    Include a cheque made payable to the department, along with your National Insurance number and details of the payment, for example, the date and the amount.

    More useful links

    • Universal Credit
    • Personal Independence Payment
    • Direct payments for carers
    • Industrial Injuries
    • Disability and Carers Service
    • Employment and Support Allowance 
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    Before claiming a benefit

    • Claiming benefits in Europe - EEA countries
    • Direct Payments and the different types available
    • How benefits and pensions are paid
    • How to claim benefit
    • How to find out if you qualify for benefits
    • Payment Exception Service
    • Understanding the benefits system

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    What to do next

    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

    For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

    For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

    If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

    • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

    For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

    For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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    • gov.uk
    • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

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