Social Security experience panels: paying benefits into different bank accounts - main report

Using Multiple Bank Accounts

Experience of using multiple bank accounts

We asked respondents if they have ever been paid two or more benefit payments at the same time. Two thirds of respondents (65 per cent) said yes.

For those respondents who said they have received different benefit payments at the same time, we asked how they have arranged for the benefits to be paid. Just under nine in ten (88 per cent) said they have always had all their benefits paid into the same bank or building society account. 9 per cent said they have sometimes arranged for separate benefits to be paid into different bank or building society accounts and 3 per cent said they always arranged this.

Reasons for using multiple bank accounts

We asked the small number of respondents who said they sometimes or always arranged for separate benefits to be paid into different accounts to tell us why they made this arrangement. Over half said they do this to keep payments separate if they are for different purposes. Around one in five said they split payments between themselves and their partner. No respondents said this was to pay a benefit to someone else. The remainder of respondents gave other reasons.