The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is set to increase payments for 18 benefits from April 6. This adjustment will affect millions of claimants, including those receiving Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payments.
Most welfare benefits are annually uprated in line with inflation from the previous September, which stood at 3.8%. However, the DWP has announced a 6.2% increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance, exceeding the inflation rate. Since Universal Credit is paid monthly in arrears, claimants will notice the increase starting with their May payment.
The State Pension will also rise by 4.8%, reflecting the government’s triple lock guarantee. This policy increases the State Pension each April by the highest of three measures: inflation (based on the previous September’s rate), average wage growth (between May and July), or a minimum of 2.5%.
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The full list of benefits receiving uprates includes:
- Child Benefit (administered by HMRC)
- Care Component
- Mobility Component
- Contributory and New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - Personal Allowances (single and lone parent)
- Income Related ESA - Personal Allowances (single, lone parent, couple)
- Income Related ESA - Premiums (enhanced disability, severe disability, pensioner)
- Guardian’s Allowance (administered by HMRC)
- State Pension Age Benefits (single, lone parent, couple, dependent children)
- Widow’s Pension
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Contribution based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) - Personal Rates (single)
- Income-based JSA - Personal Allowances (single, lone parent, couple, dependent children)
- Standard Minimum Guarantee
- Additional Amounts for Severe Disability and Carers
- Daily Living Component
- Mobility Component
- New State Pension
- Old State Pension
- Standard Allowance (single and couple)
- Child Amounts and Disabled Child Additions
Additional premiums may apply depending on individual circumstances.
Claimants should review their specific benefits and understand how these increases will affect their payments in the coming months.