The DWP has published the uprated amounts for benefits to be paid from April 2026 to 2027.  Most benefits will increase by 3.8%, in line with the CPI rate of inflation. 

Exceptions include the universal credit standard allowance, which is increasing by more than the CPI and the limited capability for work-related activity rate for new claimants who do not meet the severe conditions criteria, where the rate is almost halving.

Attendance allowance

higher rate from 110.40 to 114.60

lower rate from 73.90 to 76.70

Carers Allowance

From 83.80 to 86.45

Disability Living Allowance

Care Component
Highest from 110.40 to 114.60

Middle from 73.90 to 76.70

Lowest from 29.20 to 30.30

Mobility Component
Higher from 77.05 to 80.00

Lower from 29.20 to 30.30

ESA components

work-related activity from 36.55 to 37.95

support from 48.50 to 50.35

Personal Independence Payment

Daily living component
Enhanced from 110.40 to 114.60

Standard from 73.90 to 76.70

Mobility component
Enhanced from 77.05 to 80.00

Standard from 29.20 to 30.30

Universal credit

Standard Allowance

Single

Single under 25 from 316.98 to 338.58

Single 25 or over from 400.14 to 424.90

Couple

Joint claimants both under 25 from 497.55 to 528.34

Joint claimants, one or both 25 or over from 628.10 to 666.97

Limited Capability for Work amount

Limited Capability for Work amount from 158.76 to 158.76

Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity amount (new claims) from 423.27 to 217.26

Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity amount (Pre-2026 claimant, severe conditions criteria claimant or claimant who is terminally ill)  423.27 to 429.80

You can download a copy of the full benefits  uprating amounts for 2026 to 2027 here

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 2 days ago
    The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) publishes an annual book with every means tested benefit detailed in it. It's about 2" thick and tells you all about how to claim.

    It is a benefit bible and what you need if you are looking to claim. Tells you how to fill in the forms correctly....

    Also other books there for claiming other benefits.
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    · 9 days ago
    I'm very confused this makes no difference to people on universal credit because of the benefit cap. So where is peoples hard garnered money really going?
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      · 6 days ago
      @Jen Roberts Exactly, but there's not enough understanding in government of how the benefit system works. There will be those, however, who know it will be given with one hand and recovered with the other unless the cap is raised, whilst Labour are made to seem compassionate, too, for ending the two child restriction. Ignorance and cynicism in devastating combination.
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    · 11 days ago
    Just before Xmas my pip enhanced rates have been downgraded. I also lost my mobility car my only option of getting my child to school. What go I go know? I’m asd and have fibromyalgia osteoarthritis sleep apnoea chronic pain and fatigue. Plus SAD and gad and depression. My child has severe anxiety but did not qualify for dla although has had to change schools due to anxiety. On asd pathway too. 
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    · 12 days ago
    Government’s plan to reduce future welfare dependency.

    Age 10 to 18 Youth Futures Hubs
    Have the aim of improving young people's resilience, aspirations, sense of belonging. To reduce mental health conditions, welfare dependency, and crime (anti-social behaviour and knife crime)
    The Youth Futures Hubs will be linked DWP Youth Hubs which will be for ages 16 to 24
    DWP Youth Hubs have Youth Employment Coachs providing up to 6 months help with employment, health and housing.
    With the aim of reducing welfare dependency, improving health, and reducing homelessness.

    On the plus side they are doing something.
    On the negative side they lump mental health, welfare dependency and crime all together. And they think the solution is teaching children resilience, aspiration, and a sense of belonging and then as young adults giving them work placements. As if mental health conditions are character flaws, lack of resilience, lack of aspiration, feeling alienated rather than often being no blame medical conditions with underlying genetic causes. Also lumping mental health and welfare dependency and crime together I think is unhelpful and is as if mental health conditions and welfare dependency are aberrant life choices like crime.

    The government also looks likely to go ahead with its plan to remove UC health eligibility for those age under 22. With the justification being UC health is a incentive to choose to be too disabled to work rather than make the effort to work. As if not working due to disability is a aberrant lifestyle choice. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 11 days ago
      @John Gov so out of touch it’s embarrassing and highly concerning 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 11 days ago
      @John I agree with you, John. They are manufacturing some very convenient associations if their aim is ultimately to reduce spending on benefits. It's reprehensible.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 13 days ago
    The impartial no spin news source you can trust BBC is doing it's bit to inform the public. About how right the government is about mental health conditions. Cheerleading disinformation, scapegoating and belittling and inciting hate. All this article does is make me think a lot of GPs are bigots and unfit to practice medicine.

    BBC News Website article "Life being stressful is not a illness" GPs on mental health over-diagnosis
    "society tends to over-medicalise normal life stresses"
    "over-diagnosis is a concern"
    "Life being stressful is not an illness."
    "As a society we seem to have forgotten that life can be tough - a broken heart or grief is painful and normal, and we have to learn to cope."
    "giving people labels such as anxiety or depression over-medicalises life and emotional difficulties"
    "some patients are dishonest, narcissistic… gaming a system free at point of use."
    "young adults seem to be less resilient since Covid, suggesting they're more concerned with getting a diagnosis than finding coping strategies"
    "patients thinking they have a mental health issue, when they're dealing with normal challenges in life"
    "We must be careful, as a society, not to medicalise the full range of normal feelings and behaviours and ensure GPs are not pressured into making diagnoses that conflict with their clinical judgement," 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 11 days ago
      @John
      I should also have mentioned that the fact that Kuenssberg is still their chief political presenter should tell you all you need to know about the BBC's supposed impartiality. Asking McFadden if he believed people were "making a choice" to claim sickness benefits to get more than healthy unemployed people, thus amplifying a right wing talking point without asking for any evidence to substantiate it - as if it's possible to just decide to claim sickness benefits without any evidence from a medical professional. 

      When McFadden said they had already narrowed the gap between what the different groups get (almost entirely by cutting LCWRA for new claimants of course) Kuennsberg said "shouldn't you close the gap entirely?". That would of course leave sick and disabled people without enough to survive given the higher cost of living compared to fit and healthy people. So, no pushback at all from Kuennsberg, just parroting right wing talking points and asking why they don't introduce even harsher policies. The mass poverty and deaths caused by such policies in the past 15 years was, of course, not mentioned. Nor did she ask in any way what the impact on those affected would be.

      There's your impartial BBC folks. With "award-winning journalist" Kuenssberg as the embodiment of it.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 13 days ago
      @John I gave up on BBC news years ago. They've been pumping out the right's talking points for years. They reject criticism from the left, but when they're criticised by the right they invariably roll over. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 14 days ago
    what about the child element?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 14 days ago
    Is anybody still waiting contact for contact for a claiment commitment after december 1st? This is regarding the CB-ESA renaming to NS-ESA. How long after the name change after december 1st would it take to be contacted? Plus  would we still be paid whilst awaiting contact? 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 14 days ago
      @John No it should still be automated 
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      · 14 days ago
      @Mr J Doe If there is a delay during the transfer between Contributions based ESA and New Style ESA you should still get paid on time. Payments may appear as JSA if they use the manual payment system to make adhoc payments but it is a ESA payment. If payment is late contact them. Once you have had the phone call the New Style ESA claim process should be marked completed and payments should be done by the automated New Style ESA system and appear as ESA again. 
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    · 15 days ago
    do not see the point in any increase as what they give with one hand they take with another and leave people no better off. given the state of employment and the cost of living no job security no chance of ever owning thier own home and a bleak future is it any surprise to anyone that the young are in a mental health crisis? and as per usual the governments response [regardless of who is in power] is to have completely unqualified and ignorant alleged medical professionals to sit in judgement on a condition and its effects that they have no knowledge of. Each government has always picked a minority demographic to point the finger at to blame for the countries problems whether it was single parents, immigrants, the unemployed and now the disabled, because whoa betide they should ever hold the rich and corrupt party doners to account.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 15 days ago
    For so long now, the disabled have been attacked by the media, as being lazy, workshy, scroungers, because of the "selective information" being fed to them by this Labour Government. 
    Well as we all know now, this sorry excuse for a Government misled the media (as well as the whole country) re "the 20 Billion black hole" which was mentioned yet again in the budget. Maybe, Just maybe, the media will now get around to double checking any disability news/figures provided by the government/dwp before they go to print and stop using the vulnerable and disabled as scapegoats as an excuse for their lazy journalism.

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    · 15 days ago
    I am very confused on the UC health element. Reading another site says if you were getting the higher health element that will be protected but it will be frozen until 2030.

    If they cut ESA to £217 will that not mean the UC will go up because ESA is deducted from your UC and the amount deducted will be less, which will mean your UC payments will increase. This has all been badly done and very vague how it will work. The descriptors make it so you need to be in a zombie state not able to turn a page on a book. Even a paraplegic with something stuck on their forehead could theoretically push a button. This will eliminate 99% of claims which is ridiculous. 

    The higher award has always been based on having no ability to work. Which completely opens it to court challenges. Now we have a blackhole that never existed in budget that clearly show how Labour lies. The hostility towards people on benefits is at a all time high because No.10. Have been briefing the press. 

    Now with the unlimited lifting of the two child cap and some families will get an extra £14000 a year the hostility towards anybody on benefits has gone into orbit. Surely Labour knew the effects of lifting the cap would make the hostility toward people on benefits worse, and maybe that is the plan.

    I would be better off if I could work and like everybody else I never chose to become sick to claim benefits, but I feel we are being punished for being sick. 


    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 15 days ago
      @Onyx123 Yes it has ramped it up I agree and it was just a bribe to the backbenchers to keep them on side. Now they think they can push things through with less of a rebellion next year. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 15 days ago
      @Onyx123
      The change next year in accordance to the Universal Credit Act 2025.

      Claims that predate 6th April 2026
      Support Group/LCWRA premium remains at its current level £432.27 a month and their UC personal allowance plus LCWRA is uprated each year by at least inflation. This might mean the UC personal allowance is uprated by more than inflation and the Support Group/LCWRA premium is uprated by less than inflation but the combined total has been uprated by inflation. So they are no worse off in cash or in real inflation adjusted terms.

      UC per month single age 25 + and LCWRA combined is £823.41 so by law must be increased by at least September CPI 3.8% so £31.29

      UC per month single age 25+ £400.14 is increasing to £424.90
      UC LCWRA £423.27 is increasing to £429.80
      A total increase of £31.29

      New claims that commence their assessment phase on or after 6th April 2026
      Support Group/LCWRA Severe Disability Criteria get the same as legacy Support Group/LCWRA awards above.
      Support Group/LCWRA not in the Severe Disability Criteria get reduced premium of £217.26 a month and this premium is frozen, not uprated by inflation until 2030.

      UC per month single age 25+ 2026 £424.90
      UC LCWRA £217.26 for new claims starting on or after 6th April 2026
      UC LCWRA Severe conditions criteria group £429.80 for new claims starting on or after 6th April 2026
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 15 days ago
    From the BBC website:
    On Monday, the prime minister promised a renewed push on reforming the welfare system, which is said had "trapped people in poverty" and "wrote young people off as too ill to work".

    Led by clinical psychologist Prof Peter Fonagy, the new review's findings will be published in Summer 2026.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 14 days ago
      @John A good post, John, but please don't use Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It is a term devised to disparage in the wake of the Lake Tahoe outbreak. Just as Beard and McEvedy concluded that the Royal Free outbreak was mass hysteria without speaking to a single person involved. I know it doesn't make much sense but ME/CFS is being used as a compromise term in research and official documents like the Delivery Plan for the moment. There was discussion of  renaming to SEID but it didn't take off.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 14 days ago
      @MJ The vice chair is Simon Wessely who is a psychiatrist, but he has said himself he has never worked with anyone who is seriously mentally ill. Instead his career has been about branding physical illness as psychosomatic, especially ME and Gulf War Illness.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 14 days ago
      @MJ For some reason the top part of my post got edited out.

      Vice Chair will be psychiatrist Simon Wessely. Also know as the most hated doctor in Britain. Infamous for his belief that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is primarily due to the role of psychological and social factors including for example childhood abuse, not physical illness. And is caused by the belief they are incurably ill. And should be treated by telling patients it is reversible with exercise and a positive mental attitude. His expert opinion on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome was widely promoted and used. But, then found to have little scientific credibility or evidence, and also lacked evidence his recommended treatment regime worked. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is now generally believed to be a physical illness.

      It is probably a forgone conclusion he will conclude that ADHD, Autism and mental health conditions are more often due to psychological social factors, than currently believed. And should be treated more by telling people they can get better if they stop believing and acting like they are incurably disabled or ill.

      I cannot help think the government have chosen their psychologist chair and psychiatrist vice chair on the basis of the likely conclusions they will find. Along with creating the terms of reference to create the desired findings. For example the review will look into the effects social media and smartphones play in people presenting as having ADHD, Autism, and mental health problems. Which I think predisposes finding it to be a social trend/phenomena, psychological belief, not a rise in people having things physical, real.  
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 14 days ago
      @MJ
       

      It is probably a forgone conclusion he will conclude that ADHD, Autism and mental health conditions are more often due to psychological social factors, than currently believed. And should be treated more by telling people they can get better if they stop believing and acting like they are incurably disabled or ill.

      I cannot help think the government have chosen their psychologist chair and psychiatrist vice chair on the basis of the likely conclusions they will find. Along with creating the terms of reference to create the desired findings. For example the review will look into the effects social media and smartphones play in people presenting as having ADHD, Autism, and mental health problems. Which I think predisposes finding it to be a social trend/phenomena, psychological belief, not a rise in people having things physical, real.  
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 15 days ago
      @Jo Yes quite right Jo, that was my first thought why not a psychiatrist who diagnoses the illness and is senior to a psychologist who treats it. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 15 days ago
    We have better things to spend our money on than Sky tv, And takeaways that are not healthy, 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    I may have hit sene before finished my comment so please ignore it. So I am sure I am not alone in this situation. I was in receipt of legacy ESA (working related and contributions), in the support group and was eligible for full housing and council tax benefit. And PIP. I have been unable to work for over 10 years but I had worked for over 25 years and received disability premium from my old employer. It wasn't a lot of money and I paid tax. It iwas below the "permitted work" allowance so it was disregard. I migrated to UC in July. I received UC, full housing benefit and the disability premium from work was written as working hours (which wasn't right but it was income) but It was £50 over the allowance UC allow for working income so it was deducted from my UC. I still received contributions ESA which is now called New style ESA, again not slot of money (still grateful). Then I applied for council tax benefit from my local council and the bill came in and I was to pay £210 per month compared to £40 while on legacy ESA. The council tax is a lot more than my total amount of UC I receive. I wrote to council tax and explained what the "working income" actually is but also pointed out that it's not my fault that DWP/ESA allowed more "working income" than UC do and this is why I now have a bill of £210 per month of council tax which has no discount because my disability premium is £50 over. I can't afford to pay £210 in council tax. I had been told I won't be worse off on UC. I can't afford the council tax but they don't care they denied my appeal. The reason this has happened is because ESA/DWP have a greater amount of "working" amount before anything is deducted compared to what UC allow. I have been told to fill in the tribunal form. I really don't want the hassle but not sure what else to do. Had anyone been in this situation. Thank you 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 15 days ago
      @John That makes sense. I will correct myself Legacy ESA (DWP) disregarded the disability premium payment and that was after they were sent a letter from my employer about the benefit and the amount. It was when i migrated to UC that I read on my award letter that they counted the money as "earned income" and had £50 excess to deduct 55p per pound from my UC. I contacted them to explain what the money actually is and their response was it you think the £50 is wrong contact HMRC. I said I wasn't arguing the amount just that it is not working earnings. It was when I received my council tax bill and started to research what has happened migrating over to UC as I went from full council benefit to none. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @Kazz69 My same concern about if the money you receive from your employer is being treated correctly and if it should actually be being treated as unearned income applies if the money is the equivalent of incapacity insurance income replacement. Basically I would be concerned about any money being paid for zero hours worked a week being treated as earned income permitted work not unearned income. It maybe that it is correct and is treated as earned income permitted work as I am no expert and do not know how the legislation was written or what the case law is. But, it just seems odd, not what was intended by the government, as the point of treating earned income permitted work differently to unearned was to encourage people to do work. And works disability pensions and incapacity insurance income replacement payments are as far as I know usually treated as unearned not earned permitted work. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @Kazz69 Council tax is a postcode lottery of different local authority schemes. With many of them treating those on UC very differently to those on Income based ESA. Resulting in many people having to pay more council tax.

      As far as your ESA and UC is concerned I would get expert advice. As to if the money you receive from your former employer is being treated correctly. As if it should be being treated as a works disability pension unearned income not earned income permitted work. Then you are being overpaid benefits and have been for decades. 
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    · 16 days ago
    So if on transitional Protection does it mean that the rise im benefit will have no affect?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @Jc
      Transitional protection means your benefit is protected at the legacy amount and will not increase until that is exceeded by what you are entitled to on the current system. So if for example you have UC with transitional protection due to previously getting ESA with severe disability premium. It could be many many years before your UC increases. Also if you receive UC towards housing costs rent, when your rent goes up the amount of UC you are left with after rent will go down. As UC transitional protection is for the total UC amount not the amount after housing costs. So basically you get poorer every year due to inflation or due to inflation and due to rent increases.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @Jc It seems to be the case going on a post from Tesha,

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    Those of us who were migrated over with transitional protection will not see any increases because whatever is given will be deducted from the transitional protection. I recently had a rent increase, UC awarded the increase but then deducted it from transitional payment leaving me on the same amount. Ive asked for the decision to be reviewed and sent in my income and expenditure showing I couldn't afford the increase. That was back in August im still waiting for the decision maker to get back to me after repeated journal entries asking for updates.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    Bearing in mind how much the DWP love stopping your benefits for spurious reasons, if my universal credit was to be stopped and I had to reapply, I would lose £400 transitional protection from when I moved from ESA to universal credit, and now I would also lose Over £200 limited capability for work related activity. This is the case for anybody who has to reapply, maybe after an appeal. So I will be £600 a month worth off. I can’t walk or sit or stand. Also, can someone tell me how we are supposed to survive whilst waiting for an appeal?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @Scarlett UC claims are treated as still active during an appeal even is payment or payment of a element is suspended. Winning an appeal is treated as your benefit continuing, with any suspended payment backdated and paid, and any transitional protection still applying. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    I get ESA, limited capability to work and related activity. It says from 2026 a increase for severe conditions claimant. What counts as a servere condition? I have Parkinson's, COPD, Degenerative spine disease, and my last blood test showed a 25% decline in kidney function, which will mean tests to see if it is chronic kidney disease. I have no idea if any of them fall into the severe conditions category. Will I lose over £200 every 4 weeks?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @Onyx123 It's not determined by specific conditions, it's whether your condition(s) mean you meet one of the LCWRA descriptors. The descriptor is supposed to apply "constantly", but the meaning of that is unclear, and as Benefits and Work have said, will almost certainly be the subject of legal challenges. What the outcome of that will be, no-one yet knows.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    Yet according to Julia Hartley Brewer and Jeremy Kyle on Talk TV (elderly dad watches it ) we are raking it in , takeaways , SKY telly and sleeping in until 12 o clock ! 
    We wish ! Us that are mentally and physically ill wouldn't want to fall into the benefits trap , but we have to and now thanks to Universal Credit we are harassed and monitored to the Nth degree , who wants that ? 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 17 days ago
    It's high time that legislation was implemented to ensure that all working age benefits are given Triple Lock Protection to mirror that of the state pension.    I'm writing to my MP and the media to demand this long overdue change be implemented.   Over time it will haul millions of welfare claimants out of poverty and bring benefit payments more into line with average earnings.  
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 17 days ago
    Motability is setting up a new dedicated special investigations enforcement team to greatly increase it's detection of misuse of Motability venicles. The team will use tracking data.

    Last year about 50,000 scheme users were investigated for suspected misuse, of which about 5,000 were removed from the scheme for misuse. To put that in context there are about 860,000 Motability scheme users. So that is already 1 in 17 users being checked for misuse each year. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @angie010 Yes and any use that is not for the benefit of the disabled person. So for example a family member using the vehicle to commute to work or for the school run for their children. They use tracking data to check for suspicious use. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @John Is this the Uber and delivery drivers they keep talking about.

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @John Another scandal waiting to happen.  Now the public have been riled up and given licence to treat all chronically ill and disabled people as scum and fraudsters, there'll be false accusations left, right and centre and investigations carried out on thousands more innocent and genuine people.  Add the F.E.A.R scandal to the numbers and the numbers will be staggering.  All adds up to a deliberately orchestrated, coordinated, multi-pronged attack, laden with discrimination, hatred and hostility.

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