All posts tagged: universal credit

‘I claim £1,400 in PIP and Universal Credit but the guilt has been eating me alive’

‘I claim £1,400 in PIP and Universal Credit but the guilt has been eating me alive’

Published by Sam Flores

A 21-year-old who received £1,400 per month in benefits said the guilt was ‘eating them alive’. Although they’d been told to ‘forget about employment’ while studying, they said they sometimes felt they were ‘just getting paid for existing’. The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit (UC) recipient said they felt uncomfortable telling people about their income and asked fellow Reddit users for advice. READ MORE: Binman says food waste ‘won’t be emptied’ if caddy contains one thing The student said: “I have been receiving PIP since I was 17, and UC since I was 19 (I’m 21 now). “I get £1,400 a month because I have a (hidden) disability – high functioning autism – and while I am studying I was told to forget about employment and rely on the benefits instead. “Recently, the guilt has been eating me alive. I have excess income every month but barely any savings. “I pay rent and for my own food and clothes of course but I still live at home so I don’t have the usual …

DWP imposing strict £283 rule for claimants on 10 benefits – full list

DWP imposing strict £283 rule for claimants on 10 benefits – full list

Published by Sam Flores

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued a warning to benefits claimants over benefit caps for 2026/27. The DWP has set out its benefit cap rates for the forthcoming tax year, after it began last week. The amount you get through the benefit cap depends on whetheryou live inside or outside Greater London, you’re single or in a couple or your children live with you (if you’re single). If you’re in a couple but you do not live together, you’ll get the amounts for a single person. If you’re outside Greater London and you are in a couple, you will receive £423.46 a week, or £1,835 a month. READ MORE Millions of Microsoft Outlook users to lose inbox access from May 25 These figures are the same if you’re a single parent and a child lives with you. If you’re a single adult you’ll receive £283.71 a week or £1,229.42 a month. The benefit cap inside London is hiked to £486.98 for single people and single parents with children living with them, which …

Key HMRC change will ‘improve transparency’ as Brits’ benefits checked | Personal Finance | Finance

Key HMRC change will ‘improve transparency’ as Brits’ benefits checked | Personal Finance | Finance

Published by Sam Flores

HMRC has marked a major milestone in its efforts to improve efficiency. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) – the public sector’s property valuation experts and advisers, which provide the valuations needed to support local taxation and benefits – was assimilated into the department on April 1. This will “improve transparency”, the Treasury said. The VOA determines rental values to inform benefit payments, including local housing allowance – a way of calculating housing benefit or universal credit for private tenants in the UK, based on the area you live in and your household size – as well as council tax bands and business rates. Officials added: “The move will improve the experience of taxpayers and businesses, support HMRC’s delivery of the government’s commitment to reform the tax system and is expected to deliver between 5% to 10% of additional savings in Valuation Office administrative costs by the 2028 to 2029 tax year.” The Government has said it wants to “crack down” on universal credit fraud in order to recoup £1.3billion in overpayments. Officials said in December …

The DWP benefits you won’t be able to claim from next month

The DWP benefits you won’t be able to claim from next month

Published by Sam Flores

The government will shut down several benefits by the end of March as it aims to move all eligible claimants to a single benefit. The rollout will be completed by the end of the month, meaning most remaining “legacy” benefits will no longer exist, and they will no longer be payable or open to new claims. The plan, known as managed migration, aims to simplify the benefits system by moving as many people as possible onto one benefit: universal credit. However, some benefits will continue even after the process is completed. Here’s what you need to know about how the benefits system will change after March, and how it could affect you. What are legacy benefits, and why are they being stopped? The term “legacy” benefits refers to the older means‑tested benefits and tax credits that are being replaced by universal credit (UC). Universal credit was introduced in 2017 by the government in an aim to simplify the benefits system, make claims and changes easier to manage online, and remove situations where people had to …

Big rise for one DWP benefit confirmed in figures released for first time | Personal Finance | Finance

Big rise for one DWP benefit confirmed in figures released for first time | Personal Finance | Finance

Published by Sam Flores

The sharp increase in Universal Credit (UC) claimants in recent years has been primarily fuelled by those transferring from older benefits rather than entirely new applications, official statistics reveal. The Department for Work and Pensions has published for the first time a detailed analysis showing the proportion of claimants who have transitioned to UC from so-called “legacy” benefits, including income support and jobseeker’s allowance. Britain’s total UC claimant count reached 8.34 million in December 2025, rising by nearly one million from 7.36 million the previous year. Statistics released on Tuesday demonstrate that over three-quarters of this growth (775,790) resulted not from fresh claims, but from individuals transitioning onto UC from alternative benefits. The Government has stated that UC implementation throughout Britain should conclude this year, with remaining legacy benefit claimants scheduled to transfer to UC by March. The operation to move individuals from older benefit types to universal credit – referred to as the “managed migration” of claimants – commenced on a limited scale in May 2022, before accelerating in April 2023. During the 11-month …

DWP Cold Weather Payments triggered in 31 more postcodes – full list | Personal Finance | Finance

DWP Cold Weather Payments triggered in 31 more postcodes – full list | Personal Finance | Finance

Published by Sam Flores

Cold Weather Payments have been triggered for people living in 31 postcode districts in parts of the North East, including areas in Teesside, County Durham, and North Yorkshire. Eligible households in these regions will receive an extra £25 towards the cost of heating their homes during the cold snap. The new payments, distributed by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), will be made to an estimated 75,000 households in postcode areas covered by the latest update. So far this winter, payments have been triggered in 728 postcodes across parts of England, Wales and Northern Ireland as temperatures drop to zero degrees or below. This interactive requires javascript to work. ​ Cold Weather Payments are made to people in England and Wales who receive a range of benefits. A separate scheme is operated in Northern Ireland along similar lines, but in Scotland, the support for heating bills is paid every winter and not linked to specific spells of cold weather. There are an estimated 3.9 million people eligible for Cold Weather Payments under the DWP …

How new DWP crackdown on universal credit payments will work

How new DWP crackdown on universal credit payments will work

Published by Sam Flores

The government is set to launch a fresh crackdown on universal credit recipients fraudulently claiming the benefit. Rachel Reeves is expected to unveil in the Budget plans to bring in an extra £1.2bn in savings by identifying incorrect universal credit payments up to 2031. The move comes as the chancellor seeks to fight off likely criticism from some quarters over other welfare spending plans in the Budget – she is reportedly set to scrap the two-child benefit cap, which would cost the Treasury more than £3 billion to fund.. While the Conservatives and Reform have accused the chancellor of increasing taxes to pay for more welfare payments, the Greens have argued that more support should be available for those in need through a wealth tax. Here, Yahoo News explains the government’s powers to deduct money from your universal credit payments, how to check what you are being paid, as well as challenging the government if you’re wrongly accused of fraud. How will the plans work? To claw back the extra cash, the UK government will …