Tax credits.

[guardpig]

Daughter had too much money paid in yesterday.  Today the letter arrived confirming this years amount, how much in total for the year and the date of first payment(yesterday). What the letter doesn't say is whether the payment day has now been permanently changed to Monday - it was Thursday.

She liked Thursday as all payments except child benefit went in on Thursday, she'd work out her d/ds and go do a weeks food shop(can't fritter if spent first). She reckons she'll struggle with 2 small payments on different days(and I tend to agree with her).

Do they and can they just change days they pay you arbitrarily?. 

[bitsnknots]

I've known them alter the week of when benefits are paid but never the day.  The thing is, the DWP never let you know what they are doing (don't think they know themselves) and the only way to find out is if you ring them and they'll let you know with a pre-recorded message - if you're lucky.

[dr-whos-assistant]

When they first started we had three years in one go and because they had no way of taking the money back we just didn't get any more for three years, thankfully it was only the minimum amount.

[stroppy*cow]

I had a payment of a strange amount of working tax credit  that was not on the usual day- that was a couple of weeks ago. After that payments went back to the usual day and are for a regular amount each week.

They are a total law unto themselves and can indeed make arbitrary changes to the day of the week that payments are made.

[peteryola]

At this time of year payments can vary a bit as they balance out any odd sums due - it's something to do with the new tax year starting last month.

[guardpig]

Thanks.  No way am I ringing the darlings - she got a letter but it didn't have why and when just how much!