As Easter 2025 approaches, ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) claimants will notice some changes to their usual payment schedule. The four-day Easter bank holiday weekend, from Good Friday on April 18 to Easter Monday on April 21, will lead to an early release of ESA funds for affected recipients.
For those depending on ESA, which provides crucial financial support to people unable to work due to illness or disability, understanding these changes is essential. Payment dates will shift in line with the Easter break, with increased amounts rolling out earlier than usual.
Adjusted ESA Payment Dates for Easter 2025
According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), any ESA payments scheduled for Friday, April 18 (Good Friday) or Monday, April 21 (Easter Monday) will be processed one day earlier, on Thursday, April 17.
This ensures that claimants still receive their benefits ahead of the long holiday weekend. As ESA payments are not processed on weekends, this adjustment guarantees that no one will experience delays during the Easter period.
The DWP has confirmed that all other ESA payment dates will remain unchanged, with the next payment cycle resuming as normal from Tuesday, April 22. Claimants who were due to receive payments on dates that fall after the Easter period, such as Tuesday, April 22, will not experience any disruption.
ESA Payments Get a Boost in April 2025
ESA claimants will also benefit from an increase in payment amounts starting from the uprating implemented on April 7, 2025. This annual increase is a vital change for those on fixed incomes, and the first ESA payments reflecting the new rates will arrive on April 17, ahead of Good Friday.
The new rates see an increase of £1.55 per week for single claimants, raising their payments from £90.50 to £92.05. Couples will see an increase of £2.40 per week, bringing their payments to £144.65. For those in the support group, an additional £48.50 per week will be added, making their weekly payments £140.55 for singles and £193.15 for couples.
Claimants who received their ESA payment on April 7 will see this rise reflected in their payments on April 17. Those who received their payments after April 7 will have to wait until their next scheduled payment cycle, which could be as late as April 25, to receive the increased amounts.
