Exact benefit rates from April 2026

Every year, the government reviews benefit and state pension rates to check they’ve kept pace with rising prices and earnings. The confirmed rates for the 2026-27 financial year are now out - and here’s what you need to know.

What’s changing in April 2026?

From April 2026:

• Most inflation-linked benefits (including key disability benefits and tax credits) will rise by 3.8%, matching the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate for September 2025.
• Universal credit (UC) standard allowances will go up by more than inflation, thanks to an extra uplift introduced in the Universal Credit Act 2025.
• State pension and pension credit will rise by 4.8%, in line with growth in average weekly earnings.
• Child benefit and guardian’s allowance will also increase from April 2026.

Below, we break down the new exact amounts.

Universal credit rates for 2026-27

Due to CPI inflation and an additional 2.3% uplift, the UC standard allowances will increase to:

• Single under 25: from £316.98 ➜ £338.58 per month
• Single 25 and over: from £400.14 ➜ £424.90 per month
• Couple under 25: from £497.55 ➜ £528.34 per month
• Couple 25 and over: from £628.10 ➜ £666.97 per month

Other UC changes to know about

From April 2026, the government begins “rebalancing” universal credit:

• LCWRA reductions:
  The ‘limited capability for work and work-related activity’ (LCWRA) amount will be cut by around half for most new claimants - down to £217.26 per month, and then frozen until 2029/30.
• Protected groups remain shielded:
  Anyone already receiving LCWRA before April 2026 - or those with severe, lifelong conditions or who are terminally ill - will stay on the protected higher level. Their combined UC payment will continue to rise with inflation.

Work allowances

Work allowances (the amount you can earn before UC starts to taper) will rise broadly with CPI:

• Higher work allowance (for those not claiming housing support): £664 ➜ £710 per month
• Lower work allowance (for those claiming housing support): £411 ➜ £427 per month

Childcare costs within UC

These also rise with inflation:

• maximum for one child: £1,031.88 ➜ £1,071.09 per month
• maximum for two or more children: £1,768.94 ➜ £1,836.16 per month

State pension and pension credit

From April 2026:

State pension

• new state pension: £230.25 ➜ £241.30 per week
• basic state pension: £176.45 ➜ £184.90 per week

This 4.8% increase reflects earnings growth, in line with the triple lock policy.

Protected payments

If someone’s pension under the old system would have been higher than the full new state pension, they receive a protected payment. These protected payments will increase by 3.8%, in line with CPI.

Pension credit

Guarantee credit - which tops up income for older people on low incomes - will increase by 4.8%:

• single: £227.10 ➜ £238.00 per week
• couple: £346.60 ➜ £363.25 per week

Savings credit (for those who reached pension age before April 2016) also rises:

• savings credit threshold:
• single: £198.27 ➜ £208.07
• couple: £314.34 ➜ £329.75
• savings credit maximum award:
• single: £17.30 ➜ £17.96
• couple: £19.36 ➜ £20.10

Child benefit and guardian’s allowance

From 6 April 2026:

• child benefit (eldest child): £26.05 ➜ £27.05 per week
• child benefit (other children): £17.25 ➜ £17.90 per week
• guardian’s allowance: £22.10 ➜ £22.95 per week

Disability and carers’ benefits

The following benefits will all rise by 3.8% in April 2026:

• attendance allowance (from £110.40 to £114.60 a week for the higher rate, and from £73.90 to £76.70 for the lower rate)
• disability living allowance (from £110.40 to £114.60 a week for the highest rate, from £73.90 to £76.70 a week for the middle rate, and from £29.20 to £30.30 a week for the lowest rate)
• personal independence payment (from £110.40 to £114.60 a week for the enhanced daily living rate and from £73.90 to £76.70 a week for the standard daily living rate, and from £77.05 to £80 a week for the enhanced mobility rate and from £29.20 to £30.30 a week for the standard mobility rate)
• carer’s allowance (from £83.30 to £86.45 a week)
• severe disablement allowance (from £115 to £119.35 a week)
• industrial injuries disablement benefit (from £225.30 to £233.90 a week)

Want to find out if you’re entitled to benefits

An estimated £24bn of benefits go unclaimed every year, according to Policy in Practice. Check you’re not missing out with our free benefits calculator.