THOUSANDS on Universal Credit will receive a pay rise from today.
Some on the benefit have had to wait until now to get the new bumper rate which officially came into effect on April 7.
Universal Credit rates rose by 1.7% in April[/caption]
From this date, Universal Credit rose by 1.7%, in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) level of inflation in September 2024.
However, people have had to wait to get the higher rate due to the way the benefit is assessed.
Universal Credit is, typically, paid monthly but is based on your circumstances in your last assessment period.
The new uplift does come into effect until after the first full one-month assessment period, which started on or after April 7.
If you’re someone who had their assessment period start after April 7, you would have seen your benefits rise as early as May 13.
But if your assessment period was before this, you will have had to wait longer to get the pay rise.
And some people have had to wait until today to receive the new 1.7% higher rate.
This is when you should have received a pay rise based on your assessment period:
- March 28 to April 27 – increase applied in June, you’ll get it in your payment on June 1
- March 29 to April 28 – increase applied in June, you’ll get it in your payment on June 2
- March 30 to April 29 – increase applied in June, you’ll get it in your payment on June 5
- March 31 to April 30 – increase applied in June, you’ll get it in your payment on June 6
- April 1 to April 31 – increase applied in June, you’ll get it in your payment on June 7
- April 2 to May 1 – increase applied in June, you’ll get it in your payment on June 8
- April 3 to May 2 – increase applied in June, you’ll get it in your payment on June 9
- April 4 to May 3 – increase applied in June, you’ll get it in your payment on June 10
- April 5 to May 4 – increase applied in June, you’ll get it in your payment on June 11
- April 6 to May 5 – increase applied in June, you’ll get it in your payment on June 12 (today)
NEW UNIVERSAL CREDIT RATES
Here is a full list of the new benefit rates for 2025-26:
Universal Credit standard allowance (monthly)
- Single, under 25: £316.98 (up from £311.68)
- Single, 25 or over: £400.14 (up from £393.45)
- Joint claimants both under 25: £497.55 (up from £489.23)
- Joint claimants, one or both 25+: £628.10 (up from £617.60)
Extra amounts for children
- First child (born before April 6, 2017): £339 (up from £333.33)
- Child born after April 6, 2017 or subsequent children: £292.81 (up from £287.92)
- Disabled child (lower rate): £158.76 (up from £156.11)
- Disabled child (higher rate): £495.87 (up from £487.58)
Extra for limited capability for work
- Limited capability: £158.76 (up from £156.11)
- Work-related activity: £423.27 (up from £416.19)
Carer’s element
- Caring for a severely disabled person at least 35 hours a week: £201.68 (up from £198.31)
Work allowance increases
- Higher work allowance (no housing): £684 (up from £673)
- Lower work allowance (with housing): £411 (up from £404)
OTHER UNIVERSAL CREDIT NEWS
Councils across England have started dishing out help after receiving funding through the Household Support Fund (HSF).
And some are distributing support to those on benefits including Universal Credit.
Middlesbrough Council has started issuing payments worth up to £120 to those in need.
Meanwhile, households in Reading are in line to receive £125 vouchers in the coming weeks if they receive free school meals, which are paid to families on benefits including Universal Credit.
Each council in England decides who is eligible for a portion of funding individually.
However, in most cases you’ll qualify for help if you’re struggling to cover essential bills like energy and food.
Some local authorities are giving out help to those on benefits like Universal Credit, while others are assessing people’s eligibility purely based on income and not factoring in benefits.
Contact your council to find out what help is on offer. You can find what council area you fall under by visiting www.gov.uk/find-local-council.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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