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Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026

03/12/2024

Here are details of when our services will be closed over the festive period.

Contact details for each of our services can be found in links below.

  • Helpline and webchat – Open until 2pm on Christmas Eve (Tuesday 24) and will reopen on the 29 and 30 December from 10am until 2pm. After this, we will be reopening as usual at 9:30am on Monday 5 January 2026.
  • Edinburgh HQ – Closed from Thursday 18 December 2025 for Christmas. Reopening Monday 5 January 2026.
  • Glasgow – TBC
  • East Renfrewshire – TBC
  • Dundee – TBC
  • Angus – TBC
  • Falkirk – Closed from Friday 19 December 2025 for Christmas. Reopening Monday 5 January 2026.
  • North Lanarkshire –Closed from Tuesday 23 December 2025 for Christmas. Reopening Monday 5 January 2026.

 

You could receive your Universal Credit or benefit payments early over the Christmas period if you are due to be paid on a public holiday.

Social Security Scotland Benefits

When your payment is due When you will actually be paid
Wednesday 24 December 2025 Tuesday 23 December 2025
Thursday 25 December 2025 Tuesday 23 December 2025
Friday 26 December 2025 Tuesday 23 December 2025
Thursday 1 January 2026 Wednesday 31 December 2025
Friday 2 January 2026 Wednesday 31 December 2025

 

Universal Credit

When your payment is due When you will actually be paid
Thursday 25 December 2025 Wednesday 24 December 2025
Friday 26 December 2025 Wednesday 24 December 2025
Thursday 1 January 2026 Wednesday 31 December 2026
Friday 2 January 2026  Wednesday 31 December 2026

 

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While OPFS are closed for the festive period, you can make use of our online forum. The more that parents that make use of this service, the more peer support will be available.

You can use our forum to share tips and ideas for Christmas, vent your frustrations and reach out to others if you’re feeling lonely. If there’s anything else you would like to see on this page for future Christmas updates you could share it with other parents on the forum.

Everyone at OPFS wishes you and your family all the best for Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026.

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