Universal Credit recipients will see income boost from this week
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The increased Universal Credit rates are set to come into effect this week
Although a 6.7 per cent uplift was applied to most benefits from April, Universal Credit recipients are only seeing the increases this week.
People on Universal Credit have had to wait for the uplift as they are paid in arrears and amounts are based on a monthly rate, rather than weekly.
These long delays have caused many people to seek for change through an online petition.
Some individuals will start receiving the updated rate of Universal Credit this week, while others will have to wait until June.
The first people to get the new amounts are those receiving their Universal Credit on Tuesday, May 14.
With most other benefits getting paid out every week, two weeks or four weeks, those receiving more than one benefit will have already seen the rise in their Child Benefit, ESA, PIP and Carer's Allowance, for instance.
Although a 6.7 per cent uplift was applied to most benefits from April, Universal Credit recipients are only seeing the increases this week
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This has left many Universal Credit recipients baffled as to when they will see a rise in their payments too.
Full list of dates when new Universal Credit increase will be applied
Everyone on Universal Credit will see the new payment rates applied from May 14, as detailed below:
The first to get it in June are those whose assessment runs from April 26 to May 25 and who get paid on June 1.
Who is eligible for Universal Credit?
People with low incomes and those in need of additional assistance with living expenses are the target audience for Universal Credit. They might be:
To qualify for Universal Credit, people have to:
Universal Credit is a single payment, comprised of smaller amounts.
How much people get depends on their personal circumstances, such as their earnings (if they’re working), their partner’s earnings (if they’re working) and any other income their household earns.
The 2024/2025 Universal Credit basic standard allowance for people over 25 is now worth £393.45 per month if someone is single and £617.60 per month if they’re in a couple.
If they’re under 25, this allowance is now worth £311.68 per month if they’re single and £489.23 per month if they’re in a couple.