Fortnightly payments of benefits

From April 2009 the DWP will begin paying certain benefits fortnightly in arrears, and the day of the week that payment is made may also change (see table below).  The main benefits to be paid in this way are jobseeker's allowance, income support, incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance (employment and support allowance is already paid fortnightly in arrears).

New claims for these benefits from 6 April 2009 will be paid fortnightly in arrears.  Existing claimants will be moved to the new system over the next two years.  Claimants will be notified in advance of the change, and will usually be able to ask for a loan to ease the transition to two-weekly payments.  The new payday will be linked to national insurance numbers (NINOs) as follows:

Last two digits of NINO	Payday
00-19	Monday
20-39	Tuesday
40-59	Wednesday
60-79	Thursday
80-99	Friday

For more information go to: www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/paydaychanges

Pregnant students

An upper tribunal judge recently considered whether the regulation that does not allow pregnant students to get income support indirectly discriminates against women/pregnant women.  He decided that there is ‘objective and reasonable justification’ for income support not being made available to pregnant students who take time out of their course.  He went on to say that government policy is for students to rely on student support, unless they are in certain vulnerable groups such as lone parents or disabled people.  In ‘transient’ cases, such as pregnancy or short-term illness, which require students to take time out, there is no benefit entitlement.