Below is a list of the main benefits that are due to increase in April. Most of these are by around 1.7 per cent, with those for people of pension age going up by the triple lock figure of 4.4 per cent.
The benefit cap has been frozen for 2025/26. This may affect the total amount of benefit you can get.
Housing Benefits have also been frozen again.
Many benefits are not claimed each year. Use a benefits calculator to find out what other benefits you might be entitled to, for example, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if you have a long-term health condition or disability.
Universal Credit
- Single under 25: £311.68 a month to £316.98 a month
- Single 25 or over: £393.45 a month to £400.14 a month
- Joint claimants both under 25: £489.23 a month to £497.55 a month
- Joint claimants, one or both 25 or over: £617.60 a month to £628.10 a month
Some people are entitled to additional payments on top of their standard allowance – for example, you may receive more money if you have children or a long-term illness.
Child element
- First child born before April 6, 2017: £333.33 a month to £339 a month
- First child born on or after April 6, 2017 or second child and subsequent child: £287.92 a month to £292.81 a month
- Disabled child element lower rate: £156.11 a month to £158.76 a month
- Disabled child higher rate: £487.58 a month to £495.87 a month
Limited capability for work
- Limited capability for work: £156.11 a month to £158.76 a month
- Limited capability for work or work-related activity: £416.19 a month to £423.27 a month
Carer element
£198.31 a month to £201.68 a month
Work allowance
- Higher work allowance (no housing amount): £673 a month to £684 a month
- Lower work allowance (with housing amount): £404 a month to £411 a month
Childcare costs element
- Maximum for one child: £1,014.63 a month to £1,031.88 a month
- Maximum for two or more children: £1,739.37 a month to £1,768.94 a month
Attendance Allowance
Attendance Allowance is a benefit given to those over the state pension age who need help with day-to-day personal care or supervision due to illness or disability.
Lower rate
£72.65 a week to £73.90 a week
Higher rate
£108.55 a week £110.40 a week
Carer’s Allowance
Carer’s Allowance is awarded to people who are looking after someone for at least 35 hours a week. You do not have to be related to, or live with, the person you care for to claim Carer’s Allowance.
£81.90 a week to £83.30 a week
Child Benefit
Child Benefit is available to parents or anyone in charge of looking after a child.
First or eldest child: £25.60 a week to £26.05 a week
Any additional child: £16.95 a week to £17.25 a week
Disability Living Allowance
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a legacy benefit and has largely been replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for disabled people. You can only apply for DLA if you’re under 16 and you live in England or Wales. Those who live in Scotland can apply for Child Disability Payment.
DLA care component rates will increase as follows:
- The highest rate: £108.55 a week to £110.40 a week
- The middle rate from £72.65 a week to £73.90 a week
- The lowest rate from £28.70 a week to £29.20 a week
DLA mobility component rates will increase as follows:
- The higher rate: £75.75 a week to £77.05 a week
- The lower rate: £28.70 a week to £29.20 a week
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) helps people who have a disability or health condition that affects how much they can work. It gives them money to help with living costs if they are unable to work, and support to get back into work if they can.
People can apply if they are employed, self-employed or unemployed.
Claimants are placed into one of two groups. If they can get back into work in the future, they are put into a work-related activity group. Otherwise, they are put into the support group.
- For a couple, both under 18 from £71.70 to £72.90
- With a child that will go from £108.30 to £110.15
That increases if they are counted as the main phase, or if one is under 18 and the other one is older than 18, although certain conditions apply.
If both are over 18, the payment increases from £142.25 to £144.65, and there are separate limits for different circumstances where a claimant is 25 or over and has a partner who is under 18.
Enhanced disability
- For a single person from £20.85 to £21.20
- For a couple that goes from £29.75 to £30.25
For what’s classed as a severe disability that also increases
- For a single person from £81.50 to £82.90
- For a couple at the lower rate from £81.50 to £82.90
- For a couple on the higher rate that goes from £163 to £165.80
For a single pensioner with work-related activity component that will increase from £91.70 to £98.50.
For a single pensioner with with support component that will go up from £79.95 to £86.55, and for a single with no component that moves from £127.65 to £135.05.
The rates for pension-age couples with a work-related activity component goes from £154.75 to £165.40 and with a support component from £143 to 153.45.
A pension-age couple with no component goes from £190.70 to £201.95.
The components for the work-related activity group go from £35.95 to £36.55 and for the support group from £47.70 to £48.50.
Incapacity Benefit
Long-term Incapacity Benefit goes from £130.20 to £138.90
Short-term Incapacity Benefit (under State Pension age)
At the lower rate goes from £98.25 up to £104.85
And at the higher rate from £116.20 to £124.00
Short-term Incapacity Benefit (over State Pension age)
At the lower rate, this goes from £124.90 to £133.25, and at the higher rate from £130.20 to £138.90.
Increase of long-term Incapacity Benefit for age at the higher rate increases from £13.80 to £14.70 and at the lower rate from £7.65 to £8.15.
Invalidity Allowance (transitional) at the higher rate goes from £13.80 to £14.70. The middle rate goes from £7.65 to £8.15 and the lower rate from £7.65 to £8.15.
Income Support
New claims now go straight to Universal Credit, but many still receive Income Support. It was awarded to single people and couples of working age with no income or a low income, and no more than £16,000 in savings, living in England, Scotland or Wales.
Claimants can work part-time – fewer than 16 hours a week, and their partner can work fewer than 24 hours a week)
Personal allowances will increase as follows:
- Single under 25 £67.20 to £71.70
- Single 25 or over £84.80 to £90.50
- Lone parent under 18 £67.20 to £71.70
- Lone parent 18 or over £84.80 to £90.50
and for couples
- Both under 18 £67.20 £71.70
- Both under 18 – higher rate £101.50 to £108.30
- One under 18, one under 25 £67.20 to £71.70
- One under 18, one 25 and over £84.80 to £90.50
- Both 18 or over £133.30 to £142.25
- Dependent children £77.78 to £83.24
Premiums
Family or lone parent £18.53 to £19.15
Pensioner (applies to couples only) £173.55 to £190.70
Disability
For a single person from £39.85 to £42.50
and for a couple from £56.80 to £60.60
Enhanced disability
- For a single person from £19.55 to £20.85
- For a disabled child from £30.17 to £32.20
- For couple from £27.90 to £29.75
Severe disability
- For a single person from £76.40 to £81.50
- For a couple on the lower rate from £76.40 to £81.50
- For a couple on the higher rate from £152.80 to £163.00
- For a disabled child from £74.69 to £80.01
The carer amount will go up from £42.75 to £45.60, and the relevant sum for strikers from £47 to £50.
New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance
Claimants will see their payment rates increase next year. New claims now go straight to Universal Credit, but those already on income-based JSA keep getting payments until their claim ends.
There’s a maximum amount each week – depending on age and circumstances.
For both contribution-based JSA and income-based JSA, the personal rates for claimants aged under 25 will go up from £71.70 to £72.90. For those aged 25 or over it goes from £90.50 to £92.05.
That’s the same figure for lone parents, although the age chance is 18 – after that it goes to the £90.50 to £92.05 level.
For a couple, both aged under 18 it’s £71.70 up to £72.90, or if awarded the higher rate it goes from £108.30 to £110.15.
The rates vary if partners fall into different age brackets – see table below.
The dependent children rate will go up from £83.24 to £84.66.
Pension Credit
Pension Credit tops up your income if you’re above state pension age. It is also known as a gateway benefit, as it unlocks other perks such as council tax discounts and free TV licences for over-75s.
Standard minimum guarantee
Single: £218.15 a week to £227.10 a week
Couple: £332.95 a week to £346.60 a week
There are additional elements available if you’re a carer, you’re disabled, you’re looking after children, or if you have savings and reached state pension age before April 2016.
Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can help with extra living costs if you have both:
- a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability
- difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition
There are 2 parts to PIP, a daily living part to help with household tasks such as washing and dressing and a mobility part – if you need help with getting around.
Unlike some other benefits, you can get PIP even if you’re working, have savings or are getting most other benefits. It is tax-free and not affected by your income or savings.
If you live in Scotland, you can apply for Adult Disability Payment (ADP) instead of PIP.
If someone helps to care for you, they may be able to get a Carer’s Allowance or Carer’s Credit.
Daily living component
Enhanced from £108.55 to £110.40
Standard from £72.65 to £73.89
Mobility component
Enhanced from 75.75 to 77.04
Standard from 28.70 to 29.19
State Pension
You claim the new state pension if you’re a man born on or after April 6, 1951, or a woman on or after April 6, 1953. You claim the basic state pension if you’re a man born before April 6, 1951, or a woman born before April 6, 1953.
- Full new state pension: £221.20 a week to £230.25 a week
- Full old basic state pension: £169.50 a week to £176.45 a week
You may not get the full amounts listed above as it all depends on your National Insurance record.
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Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Allowance
These rates will increase in 2025, in line with the Government’s announcement on benefits in the autumn budget.
This will be mirrored for Statutory Paternity Pay, Shared Parental and Adoption Pay standard rates.
Statutory Maternity Pay pays 90% of average weekly earnings (before tax) for the first 6 weeks, and from April will increase from £184.03 or 90% of your average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for the next 33 weeks.
It paid for up to 39 weeks, in the same way as wages – for example monthly or weekly – with tax and National Insurance deducted.
