Benefit Changes Timetable - Benefit Changes Timetable 2021

Please note that information about some of these changes may be limited at present and also subject to further change. Although some will happen quickly, others may be introduced gradually over several years.

If you are worried about how you may be affected, you should discuss this with a benefits adviser. You can use our Find an Adviser tool to find one in your area.

2021

Early 2021

Scotland will be introducing the Scottish Child Payment for families with children aged under six. The Scottish Child Payment will be a payment of £10 per week for each child or qualifying young person in the household. Only households that get the following benefits will be able to get the Scottish Child Payment:

• Universal Credit

• income-related Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Housing Benefit

• Income Support

• Pension Credit

• Tax credits.

April 2021

From April 2021, there will be changes to how the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recovers Universal Credit advances. The maximum repayment period will go up from 12 months to 24 months. This will mean people have less money taken off their payment every month. The maximum deduction rate will go down from 30% to 25% of standard allowance.

June 2021

Care leavers' exemption from the shared room rate of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) will be expanded to include all care leavers under the age of 25. 

New scheme to pay Healthy Start vouchers for British citizen children under the age of four whose parents have no recourse to public funds.

Summer 2021

Scotland to pay £100 grants to low income families.

Scotland to begin trialling Child Disability Payments

Scotland to increase entitlement to free childcare for 2, 3 and 4 year olds.

August 2021

The Minimum Income Floor in Universal Credit will start to be reintroduced from August 2021.

The Scottish Best Start Food scheme will increase the rates of payment and expand eligibility for the scheme.

October 2021

The additional £20 per week payment for people getting Universal Credit will end  5 October 2021.

Northern Ireland to establish grants scheme to help with first month's childcare costs for people in Northern Ireland starting a new job.

European Union (EU) nationals in receipt of benefits who have not applied for the Settled Status scheme may have their benefits stopped.

English local authorities given funding to provide emergency support to people struggling with food, housing costs and bills.

November 2021

Scotland to introduce face-to-face application support for all Scottish benefits.

Scotland to open applications for Child Disability Payment across all of Scotland.

25 November: Tax credits entitlement will be based on real hours worked again. The easement allowing people to get tax credits when their hours had changed due to coronavirus ends.

December 2021

Following the announcement in the Autumn Budget, the taper rate that applies to earnings in Universal Credit will be reduced from 63 per cent to 55 per cent; and work allowances will be increased by £500 a year. This was introduced 24 Nov 2021.

Scotland to pay £460 Carer's Allowance Supplement to carers in receipt of Carer's Allowance living in Scotland.

Scotland to pay £160 to families in receipt of Free School Meals.

Date of publication: 13 December 2021