When does your Universal Credit go up? Key dates when new payments start

When does your Universal Credit go up? This is a key question for many claimants who are expecting the 6.7 per cent increase that came into effect from April.

Although the new payment rates apply from April 8 - the start of the first working week of the new financial year - people need a full assessment period after that date before the increase is applied. Your assessment period is the one-month timeframe before you receive your benefit, in which your income and savings are examined to see how much you'll be getting.

In reality, this means the first Universal Credit claimants to see the rise will be those paid on May 14. They'll have had an assessment period running from April 8 (the first date when the increase came in) to May 7 and be paid their benefit seven days later, as is the usual practice.

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For a single person over 25 on Universal Credit's standard allowance, the amount they receive will go up from £368.74 a month to £393.45. If they are unfit for work and are in the 'limited capability for work and work-related activity' group, their additional support for ill-health will rise from £390.06 to £416.19. That would bring their total monthly benefit payment from £758.80 to £809.64. Claimants may also be getting other health-related benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) which pays up to £737.20 every four weeks.

The full list of changes is included below. Each element of Universal Credit has risen by 6.7 per cent, in line with the inflation figure from last September, so you need to add up all the components you receive to arrive at the new total.

What are the new rates of Universal Credit?

These are the 2024-2025 payment rates of Universal Credit.

Single

• Under 25: £311.68 (from £292.11)

• 25 or over: £393.45 (from £368.74)

Couple

• Both under 25: £489.23 (from £458.51)

• One or both 25 or over: £617.60 (from £578.82)

Child Amounts

• First child (born before April 6, 2017): £333.33 (from £315.00)

• First child (born on or after April 6, 2017) / second child and subsequent child (where an exception or transitional provision applies): £287.92 (from £269.58)

Disabled Child Additions

• Lower rate addition: £156.11 (from £146.31)

• Higher rate addition: £487.58 (from £456.89)

Work Capability Elements

• Limited Capability for Work: £156.11 (from £146.31) - only payable for claims before April 2017

• Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity: £416.19 (from £390.06)

Carer's Element

• £198.31 (from £185.86)

Childcare Costs (that can be claimed back)

• Maximum for one child: £1014.63 (from £950.92)

• Maximum for two or more children: £1739.37 (from £1630.15)

When your Universal Credit goes up in 2024 - all the key dates

May 14 if your assessment period is April 8 to May 7 - these will be the first claimants to see the rise

May 15 if your assessment period is April 9 to May 8

May 16 if your assessment period is April 10 to May 9

May 17 if your assessment period is April 11 to May 10

May 18 if your assessment period is April 12 to May 11

May 19 if your assessment period is April 13 to May 12

May 20 if your assessment period is April 14 to May 13

May 21 if your assessment period is April 15 to May 14

May 22 if your assessment period is April 16 to May 15

May 23 if your assessment period is April 17 to May 16

May 24 if your assessment period is April 18 to May 17

May 25 if your assessment period is April 19 to May 18

May 26 if your assessment period is April 20 to May 19

May 27 if your assessment period is April 21 to May 20

May 28 if your assessment period is April 22 to May 21

May 29 if your assessment period is April 23 to May 22

May 30 if your assessment period is April 24 to May 23

May 31 if your assessment period is April 25 to May 24

All other assessment periods that started on dates before April 8 or after April 26 will see the new payment in June. The first June rises will be for those with an assessment period from April 26 to May 25 as they'll be paid at the new rates on June 1.

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