As another atmospheric river pushes into the U.S. West Coast on Sunday, December 21, 2025, the conversation has shifted from “when will the water stop?” to “how fast can communities recover?” and “who’s equipped to respond?” Federal forecasters are warning of long-duration heavy rain and flash flooding risk in parts of California, while the Pacific Northwest remains waterlogged after a punishing stretch of storms that damaged infrastructure, forced evacuations, and kept restoration crews running at full speed. wpc.ncep.noaa.gov+2The Weather Channel+2 Against that backdrop, a wave of business announcements and local recovery efforts is spotlighting a reality homeowners and property managers

London — Sunday, 21 December 2025. With Christmas week now days away, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HMRC guidance is clear: some benefit and pension payments will arrive earlier than usual because of the Christmas and New Year bank holidays — and Jobcentre Plus and key helplines will run reduced hours on specific days. GOV.UK+2GOV.UK+2 For millions of households relying on Universal Credit, PIP, Pension Credit, State Pension and other payments, the practical message is simple: know your revised date, budget for a longer gap until the next payment, and check opening times before calling or visiting.