Universal Credit claimants due pay rise this week as benefit change kicks in
Universal Credit is paid monthly in arrears, so the first round of benefit payments that will include the higher rates will be paid from this week
Millions of Universal Credit claimants will finally start to see their benefit payments increased from this week. Universal Credit payments went up by 1.7% from April 7.
However, as Universal Credit is paid monthly in arrears, the first round of payments that will include the higher rates will be paid from this week. This is because the new increased payment rates only apply to Universal Credit assessment periods that started on or after April 7.
Your assessment period is used to calculate how much Universal Credit you get, based on any earnings you may have made through work, or deductions in this period.
Universal Credit payments are paid a week after the last date of each assessment period. It means if your last assessment period Universal Credit started on April 7, you will get the higher payments from this week.
Some people will not see the increased payments reflected in their Universal Credit until June. Universal Credit is made up of a standard allowance which is based on your age and if you're claiming as a single person, or in a couple.
The standard allowance is the basic amount you get before any additional elements - for example, if you have children or are unable to work due to illness - or any deductions are taken into account. Here is how much the Universal Credit standard allowance has risen by:
Single under 25: from £311.68 a month to £316.98 a month
Single 25 or over: from £393.45 a month to £400.14 a month
Joint claimants both under 25: from £489.23 a month to £497.55 a month
Joint claimants, one or both 25 or over: from £617.60 a month to £628.10 a month
Universal Credit is replacing six older legacy benefits, including Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Housing Benefit.
Existing claims for Tax Credits, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and Housing Benefit have now been closed - but households claiming income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) still need to be moved to Universal Credit.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is in the process of sending "migration notices" to these households. This letter will give you a three-month deadline to move across to Universal Credit.
If you don't claim Universal Credit by the end of your three-month deadline, your existing benefits will stop. The DWP is increasing the number of migration notices sent each month to 83,000.
The aim is for all remaining ESA claimants set to be contacted by September 2025. The DWP wants everyone moved to Universal Credit by March 2026.
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