Payment dates, rates and key deadlines
Benefit and State Pension payment dates, current rates, tax deadlines and other key public dates in the UK, written from the official sources. Each guide shows when it was published and, if it has changed since, when it was updated.
State Pension payment dates November 2026: your payday
GOV.UK’s guides do not say whether St Andrew’s Day, a bank holiday only in Scotland, changes a State Pension payment due on Monday 30 November.
State Pension age is rising to 67: when you reach it
A further rise from 67 to 68 is scheduled between 2044 and 2046 under current law, the timetable says.
When is the next Bank Rate decision? Thursday 5 November 2026
The bank’s list shows the date and whether a Monetary Policy Report follows, but gives no time for the announcement.
Bus fare cap outside London: £3 to end of 2026, then £2
Companies choose whether to join the scheme, so a route can be outside the cap.
Next energy price cap due by Wednesday 25 November
Two more dates follow, 23 February and 26 May 2027, and Ofgem says it may publish earlier if external reasons require.
NHS prescription charge in England: £9.90 an item
In England, a 12-month prepayment certificate costs £114.50 and covers all NHS prescriptions for the year.
How much is the UK State Pension? Full new rate is £241.30 a week
The full new rate rose by 4.8% in April, DWP said, and a GOV.UK search on 18 October 2026 found no 2027-28 rates table.
Car tax: £200 a year for cars registered since April 2017
Rates for cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 depend on fuel type and CO2 emissions, and run from £20 to £790 a year.
When are the Premium Bonds results? Next on Tuesday 3 November
A Bond has to be held for a whole month first, so Bonds bought in November enter the January draw.
UK ETA costs £20 and lasts up to two years
GOV.UK says an ETA does not guarantee entry, and warns that other websites may charge more or imitate the official service.
Is 28 December a bank holiday in 2026? Christmas and New Year dates
Christmas Day is Friday 25 December 2026 and New Year’s Day is Friday 1 January 2027; Scotland has one more bank holiday, Monday 4 January.
Food recalls: the products on the FSA’s alert list since September
Salmonella lies behind three alerts and Listeria behind two; four more are allergy warnings, one concerns cans that may rupture and one an oat drink.
How much is Child Benefit? £27.05 a week for the eldest child
Partners who live together cannot both claim the higher rate, but each parent can get it for a child after a split, GOV.UK says.
When is the Budget? Wednesday 28 October 2026
The ONS bulletin that confirms the date gives no start time, and its latest borrowing figures are measured against the OBR’s March forecast.
UK passport fees: £102 online, £239.50 for 1-day premium
For an adult passport, the two urgent services add £90 and £137.50 to the online price, and GOV.UK says anyone who has already applied should not pay for them.
When is Remembrance Sunday 2026 and when is the two-minute silence?
No tickets are needed to watch from the pavements of Whitehall, and the service is on the BBC, Sky and ITV, GOV.UK says.
Bank holidays 2027: the dates in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Easter Monday is not a bank holiday in Scotland, while Northern Ireland has two days of its own, GOV.UK’s official list shows.
October half term 2026: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Welsh councils, Essex and Southwark give 26 to 30 October, but Surrey’s break starts on 19 October and Edinburgh’s and Highland’s on 12 October.
UCAS deadlines for 2027 entry: 15 October for Oxford, Cambridge and most medicine courses, 13 January for most others
The cut-off is 18:00 UK time on both 15 October and 13 January, and UCAS lists Clearing for 2027 entry as opening on 2 July 2027.
Minimum wage rates 2026-27: what £12.71 an hour adds up to a year
The National Living Wage for workers aged 21 and over is £12.71 an hour; at 37.5 hours a week for 52 weeks it comes to £24,785 before tax, a sum worked out here rather…
What time can you let off fireworks on Bonfire Night 2026? The law, the fines and the age limit
Registered shops can sell fireworks for private use only from 15 October to 10 November, and again from 26 to 31 December, GOV.UK says.
When do the clocks go back in 2026? Sunday 25 October at 2am
The UK then stays on Greenwich Mean Time until the clocks go forward again on 28 March 2027, GOV.UK says.
Christmas 2026 benefit payments: dates, bonus and winter help
Child Benefit has its own table of dates, and the £10 Christmas Bonus should be paid automatically before Christmas, according to GOV.UK.
Payments on account: the two Self Assessment dates in 2027
GOV.UK’s “last working day before” rule applies when a deadline falls on a weekend, except for Faster Payments and card payments.
Warm Home Discount 2026-27: who qualifies for the £150 bill discount
Whether a household qualifies depends on its situation on 23 August 2026, GOV.UK says.
Cold Weather Payment 2026-27: £25 for each very cold week
Eligible claimants do not need to apply, and people in Scotland cannot get the payment: they might get an annual Winter Heating Payment instead, which is paid whatever…
Christmas Bonus 2026: who gets the £10 payment
Qualifying benefits include State Pension, PIP and Carer’s Allowance, and a partner who gets none can sometimes still qualify, GOV.UK says.
Statutory Sick Pay 2026-27: £123.25 a week from the first full day
At the full rate, 28 weeks of Statutory Sick Pay adds up to £3,451, a sum worked out here rather than stated by GOV.UK; employees paid 80% of their earnings would…
Pension Credit payment dates 2026: up to £238 a week
Couples can get up to £363.25 a week under the same guarantee credit, GOV.UK says, £125.25 more than the single rate, before savings above £10,000 start to reduce the…
Maternity Allowance payment dates 2026: every 2 or 4 weeks
The weekly rate tops out at £194.32 for employed claimants, GOV.UK says, falling to £27 for some self-employed claimants and those doing unpaid work in a spouse’s…
Housing Benefit payment dates 2026: set by your council, not a national timetable
Most people can no longer make a new claim for the benefit at all, GOV.UK says, because Universal Credit has taken its place.
Attendance Allowance payment dates: how the four-week cycle works
Attendance Allowance is usually paid every four weeks straight into a bank account, and moves earlier when payday falls on a weekend or bank holiday, GOV.UK says.
Council Tax payment dates 2026-27: why most bills stop for two months
Council Tax is usually split into 10 monthly payments rather than 12, GOV.UK says, which is why many households get February and March free before the next bill arrives.
Self Assessment 2026-27: the 5 October deadline that arrives first
Anyone filing a Self Assessment tax return for the first time must tell HMRC by 5 October 2026, GOV.UK says — the earliest of several deadlines that run through to next…
Universal Credit payment dates 2026: when you’re paid and what happens on bank holidays
Anyone due to be paid between 25 and 28 December 2026 is paid early, on 24 December, because of the Christmas and Boxing Day bank holidays.
Carer’s Allowance payment dates 2026: weekly or four-weekly, your choice
Carers can choose to be paid £86.45 a week in advance or every 4 weeks, and the amount is cut pound for pound once a claimant’s State Pension reaches that rate, GOV.UK…
PIP payment dates: how the four-week cycle and bank holidays work
Personal Independence Payment is usually paid every four weeks on a day set out in a claimant’s decision letter, and moves earlier around a bank holiday, GOV.UK says.
Child Benefit payment dates 2026: who can be paid weekly
HMRC keeps its own separate schedule of adjusted Child Benefit dates around bank holidays, rather than applying the standard rule used for most other benefits.
Benefit payment dates 2026: what the bank holiday rule means
Universal Credit, State Pension and most other benefits move automatically to the working day before a weekend or bank holiday, with no action needed from the claimant…
Winter Fuel Payment 2026: who gets £100 to £300, and when
Anyone with a total income over £35,000 will have the money taken back through the tax system.
State Pension payment dates October 2026: your payday
A first State Pension payment comes no later than five weeks after the date a claimant chooses to start it, GOV.UK says.
Christmas 2026 benefit payment dates: when you’ll be paid
Child Benefit in Northern Ireland is the exception: a payment due on 29 December 2026 is paid a day later, not earlier, GOV.UK’s table shows.
UK rents climb at fastest pace since December 2025
Average monthly rent reached £1,400 in the 12 months to August 2026, while UK house price growth slowed for a third consecutive month, according to the Office for…
