Overview
- Benefit rates increase in the first week of April, with the state pension up 4.8% under the triple lock and most other DWP payments rising about 3.8%, while Universal Credit standard allowances go up by roughly 6.2%.
- Legislation ending the Universal Credit two‑child limit is now law, and DWP says the change will be applied automatically to existing claimant families.
- The state pension age starts a phased rise from 66 toward 67 in monthly steps from April 2026, affecting people born after 6 April 1960 and completing in 2028.
- DWP health and disability changes from April 6 cut the new Universal Credit LCWRA rate for new claims to £217.26 a month compared with £429.80 for existing awards, and most new PIP awards for people 25 and over move to longer review gaps, typically three years then five at review.
- HMRC will stop most expatriates from using cheaper Class 2 voluntary National Insurance, requiring many to pay the Class 3 rate of about £957 a year to build UK state pension years.