The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has clarified why some Universal Credit claimants will experience a delay in receiving their payment increase, with some not seeing the rise until June.
As part of the government’s commitment to address the cost of living, nearly four million households receiving the standard rate of Universal Credit will benefit from the first sustained above-inflation increase to the benefit starting from April.
This uplift represents approximately £295 extra annually for a single adult aged 25 or over, with projected increases reaching up to £760 by the decade’s end. However, the timing of this increase varies based on when a claimant’s Universal Credit assessment period begins.
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Universal Credit payments are determined by monthly assessment periods, and the DWP follows a “first full period” rule. This means claimants only qualify for the higher payment once they complete a full assessment period that starts on or after the new rates came into effect on April 6.
Typically, assessment periods last one month, with payments issued about seven days after the period ends. As a result, some claimants whose assessment periods began before April 7 will receive the increased amount later, generally in June.
For example, a claimant with an assessment period starting on April 4 would finish it on May 3 and receive that payment around May 10, still at the previous rate. Their next assessment period running from May 4 to June 3 would qualify for the increased rate, resulting in a higher payment around June 10.
Conversely, claimants whose assessment periods began on or after April 7 will receive the increased payments sooner, potentially by mid-May.
This staggered approach ensures that all claimants receive the benefit increase fairly, based on their individual assessment schedules.