Christmas 2025 and New Year 2026
04/12/2025
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 – Closed from Friday 19 December 2025 for Christmas. Reopening Monday 5 January 2026.
- 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 |
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 to single parents like you.
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 and 2026.
If you need immediate help over Christmas
- For an emergency call 999
- For health advice when your GP and dentist is closed call NHS 24 on 111
- For personal crisis support, call the Samaritans helpline on 116 123
- If you are feeling low or depressed call Breathing Space on 0800 83 85 87
- If you are, or have been, affected by domestic abuse, call the Domestic abuse and forced marriage helpline on 0800 027 1234 or find your nearest Women’s Aid service
- For housing issues, contact Shelter on 0808 800 4444 or webchat