Overview
- - The state pension rises by 4.8% from April 2026 to £241.30 a week for the new pension and £184.90 for the old, while most working‑age benefits increase by 3.8%.
- - Universal Credit standard allowances go up on 6 April 2026, but the LCWRA element for new awards is reduced to £217.26 a month, with existing recipients protected and severe/terminal cases excepted.
- - The government confirms the two‑child limit for Universal Credit will end in April 2026, the overall benefit cap remains frozen for 2026–27, and private renters face another Local Housing Allowance freeze after the 2024 reset.
- - HMRC will reclaim Winter Fuel Payments from pensioners with total income over £35,000 via tax‑code adjustments, typically deducting about £17 a month to recover a £200 payment.
- - DWP is writing to state pension, Pension Credit and Attendance Allowance recipients ahead of the uprating, with around 760,000 eligible people still not claiming Pension Credit worth roughly £4,300 a year as more retirees face tax due to frozen thresholds.