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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be sending unexpected early payments of around £921 to state pensioners this Friday.

State Pension payments may be sent early to some claimants due to the early May bank holiday, which falls on Monday, May 4. Benefits payments that fall on a bank holiday are always issued earlier than normal, meaning some claimants will have to make their cash last a little longer next month before their next payment arrives. When a State Pension payment date falls on either a bank holiday or a weekend, the DWP will send the payment on the earliest working day before instead.

State Pension rates increased by 4.8% on April 6 so pensioners will see the uplift reflected in their May payments. Following the increase, the full new State Pension is now worth £241.30 per week, while the full basic State Pension is worth £184.90.

For those with a full qualifying National Insurance record, the full new State Pension was worth a maximum of £921 every four weeks under the previous rates, while the full basic State Pension was worth £705.80 every four weeks.

As the new higher rates are now in place as of April 6, state pensioners with a full National Insurance record can expect to receive more than these amounts in their May payment, but the amount you receive will depend on when your payment date falls.

For example, if your pension date falls on May 1, your payment will still include some days under the old rate (from April 1 to April 6), but every pension payment from May 6 onwards will be at the higher rate as the uplift will have been in place for a full month.

The State Pension is typically paid every four weeks, and when you first claim it, you choose the date when you want to receive your payment.

So those who are due to receive the State Pension this weekend, or on bank holiday Monday, may be surprised to see their bank account topped up with an early payment this Friday. State Pension payments may also be disrupted again later in May as another bank holiday falls on May 25, meaning more early payments for some.

The May bank holidays bookend the month on Monday, May 4, and Monday, May 25, so if your usual payment fall on either of these days, you will instead be paid by the DWP on the following dates:

• If your payment is due on Monday, May 4, you'll instead be paid on Friday, May 1
• If your payment is due on Monday, May 25, you'll instead be paid on Friday, May 22

The DWP said: "Benefits are usually paid straight into your bank, building society or credit union account. If your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday you'll usually be paid on the working day before."

Pensioners can determine their usual State Pension payment day by looking for the two-digit code at the end of their National Insurance number, as this specifies the date on which payments are normally issued. This is how National Insurance numbers correspond to payment days:

• 00 to 19 - paid on Monday
• 20 to 39 - paid on Tuesday
• 40 to 59 - paid on Wednesday
• 60 to 79 - paid on Thursday
• 80 to 99 - paid on Friday

So if your National Insurance number ends in 00 to 19, it means your usual payment date falls on a Monday, meaning it may coincide with the May bank holidays. As such, payments will be issued on the earliest working day before which will either be this Friday (May 1), or later in the month on Friday, May 22.

The DWP said: "You'll be asked when you want to start getting your State Pension when you claim. Your first payment will be no later than 5 weeks after the date you choose. You'll get a full payment every 4 weeks after that.

"You might get part of a payment before your first full payment. The letter confirming your State Pension payment will tell you what to expect.

"The day your pension is paid depends on your National Insurance number. You might be paid earlier if your normal payment day is a bank holiday."

If your State Pension or Universal Credit payment date is changing this month you don't need to do anything as your money will be paid straight into your usual bank, building society or credit union account.