Several Universal Credit claimants are set to see new rates kick in this year. Many Brits are getting a boost in their monthly payments.
9 types of Universal Credit claimants will receive a boost this year (Image: Getty)
Some major changes are coming in for Universal Credit claimants, with several types of claimants getting a boost in their monthly payments. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed the new changes coming into effect from April 2026, and a chunk of the 8.6 million people on Universal Credit will notice the difference. Close to four million households will experience a boost of around £725 under the new Universal Credit Act, the DWP predicts.
Those on Universal Credit get a standard allowance along with additional payments depending on their specific circumstances. The standard allowance is increasing, while some additional payments are going down. The standard allowance will be £725 in cash terms by 2029/30 for a single person aged 25 or over, as Universal Credit will permanently rise above inflation. Universal Credit, like most benefits, is paid in arrears. That means that claimants won’t see the changes in their monthly pay until May 2026, a month after the new rates come into effect.
The DWP has confirmed which rates will go up, and what exact changes claimants will see, depending on what they get every month. Here is a full list of the Universal Credit changes coming into effect in 2026:
Single Claimants
- Under 25: £338.58 (from £316.98)
- 25 or over: £424.90 (from £400.14)
Couples
- Joint claimants both under 25: £528.34 (from £497.55)
- Joint claimants, one or both 25 or over: £666.97 (from £628.10)
Child Amounts
- First child (born prior to 6 April 2017): £351/88 (from £339)
- First child (born on or after 6 April 2017 / second child and subsequent child (where an exception or transitional provision applies)): £303.94 (from £292.81)
Limited Capability for Work
- Limited Capability for Work amount: £158.76 (no change)
- Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity amount: £217.26 (from £423.27)
- Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity amount (Pre-2026 claimant, severe conditions criteria claimant or claimant who is terminally ill): £429.80
Carer amount: £209.34 (from £201.68)
Work Allowances
- Higher work allowance (no housing amount) – One or more dependent children or limited capability for work: £710.00 (from £684.00)
- Lower work allowance – One or more dependent children or limited capability for work: £427.00 (from £411.00)
The DWP says that these new changes will address the imbalance between the standard payment and the circumstantial add-ons, which it says “creates perverse incentives that drive people into dependency”.
To tackle this, the department announced a number of measures. They include:
- Reducing the health top-up for new claims to £50 per week from April 2026.
- Increasing the Universal Credit standard allowance above inflation for the next four years.
- Ensuring all existing recipients of the Universal Credit health element – and any new claimant meeting the Severe Conditions Criteria and/or who has their claims considered under the Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) – will receive the higher Universal Credit health payment after April 2026.
- Exemptions from reassessment for those with the most severe, lifelong conditions.
Other benefit changes have been discussed by the government. However, Citizens Advice says any other changes are unlikely to happen before 2027.
