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.

January 2025

In Scotland, people getting Attendance Allowance will begin to be automatically transferred to the new Pension Age Disability Payment.

March 2025

Welfare Supplementary Payments (Northern Ireland) have been extended until 31 March 2025.

In Scotland, the new Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) that is replacing Attendance Allowance, will be available in 13 more local authority areas from 24 March. To see if your area is included, visit the GOV.SCOT website. It will be available throughout Scotland from 22 April 2025.

The deadline to make a claim for the 2024/25 Winter Fuel Payment is 31 March 2025. For more information on key dates and eligibility, read our Winter Fuel Payment guide.

The Household Support Fund will end on 31 March 2025.

In Scotland, the transfer of people from Carer’s Allowance to Carer’s Support Payment is expected to be complete.

In Scotland, the transfer of people getting Disability Living Allowance to Adult Disability Payment and Scottish Adult DLA is expected to begin.

In Northern Ireland, pensioners who didn’t get the Winter Heating Payment will receive a one-off £100 fuel support payment by 31 March.

April 2025

The Tax Credit service will close on 5 April 2025, and all remain accounts are closed.

Social security benefits will go up by 1.7%.

The earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance will increase from £151 to £196.

The National Minimum Wage will increase by 6% -

• For people aged 21 and over it will rise to £12.21 per hour.
• For 18- to 20-year-olds it will rise to £10.00 per hour.
• For apprentices and those under 18 it will rise to £6.40.

The deadline to pay voluntary NICs for the contribution years 2006/7 to 2015/6, to increase New State Pension entitlement, is extended to 5 April 2025.

In Scotland, the new Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) that is replacing Attendance Allowance will be rolled out nationally by 22 April.

The New and Basic State Pensions, and the Minimum Guarantee element of Pension Credit will rise by 4.1%.

September 2025

Working parents of children under the age of five will be entitled to 30 hours free childcare per week from September 2025. You can find current available help with Childcare costs on our website. 

November 2025

In Scotland, the new benefit Pension Age Winter Heating Payment is expected to be launched, replacing the Winter Fuel Payment.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Cold Weather Payment 2025 scheme opens.

December 2025

Legacy benefits are ending. All managed migration notices are expected to be sent by the end of December 2025. 

Across the UK, the transfer of people on income-related ESA to Universal Credit is expected to be complete.

In Scotland, the Winter Heating Payment 2025/26 is expected to be paid to eligible households.

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.

Throughout 2024 and 2025

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will continue the process of moving people from legacy benefits to Universal Credit.

February 2024

Carer's Allowance claimants in Scotland will be transferred to Carer Support Payment from February 2024. Carer Support Payment is replacing Carer's Allowance in Scotland.

March 2024

The government has extended the £2,500 surplus earnings threshold within Universal Credit until March 2024. 

April 2024

Working parents of two year olds will be able to access 15 hours of free childcare from April 2024. You can find current available help with Childcare costs on our website. 

September 2024

15 hours of free childcare will be extended to all children from the age of nine months from September 2024. You can find current available help with Childcare costs on our website. 

Across the UK, people above State Pension age who get Tax Credits will begin to receive migration notices to apply for Universal Credit or Pension Credit.

October 2024

In Scotland, Attendance Allowance will be replaced by a new benefit called the Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP). This new benefit will only be available in five council areas from 21 October and will be available across Scotland in April 2025. To see when it’ll be available in your area, visit the gov.scot website. 

Across the UK, people on income-related ESA, ESA with Housing Benefit, income-based JSA, JSA with Housing Benefit will begin to receive Universal Credit migration notices.

The Warm Home Discount Scheme opens for applications.

November 2024

In Scotland, the new benefit Carer’s Support Payment will be available nationally. People on Carer’s Allowance will continue to be automatically transferred to the new Carer’s Support Payment.

In Scotland, the Child Winter Heating Payment is expected to be paid to eligible families.

Across the UK, eligible pensioners will begin to receive their Winter Fuel Payment.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Cold Weather Payment 2024 scheme opens

December 2024

In Scotland, people who get Carer’s Support Payment or Carer’s Allowance will be paid the second Carer’s Allowance Supplement payment of 2024.

In Scotland, the Winter Heating Payment will be paid to eligible households.

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.

Throughout 2023 and 2024

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) intends to move all tax credits only claimants onto Universal Credit during 2023/2024.

Extra cost of living payments of £900 for people on means tested benefits (including Universal Credit, Pension Credit and income-related Employment and Support Allowance); £300 for people over pension age; and £150 for people who get a disability benefits such as Personal Independence Payment or Attendance Allowance.

January 2023

Increase in Administrative Earnings Threshold to £617 per month for single people and £988 per month for couples.

February 2023

Scotland to start making payments of new Low Income Winter Heating Assistance benefit.

Spring 2023

The Scottish Government intends to have transferred all recipients of child Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Scottish Child Disability Payment.

Changes to the rules for Support for Mortgage Interest. Waiting period to be reduced from 9 months to 3 months. Changes to zero earnings rules.

April 2023

Most benefits and the state pension will be uprated by 10.1%. The benefit cap will be uprated by 10.1%.

September 2023

Changes to in-work conditionality to require people earning the equivalent of over 15 hours per week at National Living Wage, but less than full time hours to look for more work or better paid work. 

Winter 2023

Scottish Carers Assistance to begin late 2023 and be fully rolled out in Spring 2024.

 

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.

February - March 2022

5 February 2022: Reduction of period during which new claimants to Universal Credit and Jobseeker's Allowance can restrict their job search to fields in which they had previous experience. Until Feb 2022, new claimants could restrict their job search to favoured fields for 13 weeks. This has been reduced to 4 weeks, after which people will be expected to apply for any job. This is not a requirement to get a job within four weeks of claiming Universal Credit or Jobseeker's Allowance.

8 February 2022: Expansion of Northern Ireland Welfare Mitigation scheme to cover more households affected by the bedroom tax or Benefit Cap. 

10 February 2022: Expansion of Welfare Supplementary Payments scheme in Northern Ireland. All families with children who are affected by benefit cap will get a welfare supplementary payment to eliminate the effect of the cap. All people affected by the bedroom tax will get a welfare supplementary payment. 

15 February 2022: People with a terminal illness are exempt from the requirement to accept a claimant commitment for Universal Credit. The definition of terminal illness is still a reasonable expectation that the claimant will die within the next six months. 

Providers for all Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments are now able to provide recordings. This applies whether the assessment took place in person or over the phone. PIP applicants still need to request in advance that a recording is made. Anyone who wants a recording should contact their assessment provider before the assessment.

Wales: £200 energy grant scheme: Applications close 28 February 2022. 

21 March 2022: Introduction of Adult Disability Payment in Scotland for new claimants to disability benefits in Perth and Kinross, City of Dundee and the Western Isles. 

31 March 2022: Closure of English councils' Household Support Fund schemes.

April 2022

Annual uprating to benefits at beginning of financial year.

England, Scotland and Wales are all making £150 cost of living payments through the council tax system. The schemes are different in each country. England scheme Scotland scheme Wales scheme

The definition of terminal illness for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Universal Credit in England, Wales and Scotland will be changed. Terminal illness was defined as a doctor reasonably expecting that their patient might die within 6 months. This is changing to 12 months. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) plans to change the definition for other disability benefits too. However, this will take longer and will not happen in April 2022. (NB: for Scotland's Adult and Child Disability Payment, terminal illness has no timeframe. In Northern Ireland, the definition of terminal illness has been changed from 6 to 12 months for all benefits.)

Scottish Child Payment is to double from £10 per week to £20 per week. 

The Household Support Fund in England has been extended to March 2023. Contact your council to find out more.

19 April 2022 - children in families with No Recourse to Public Funds can be entitled to Free School Meals if their parents' income is low. Contact councils to find out more.

26 April 2022 - DWP to stop taking deductions from benefits for ongoing consumption of fuel. An exception can be made if the claimant requests it.

April 2022 - assorted changes have been made to enable Ukrainian refugees to be able to claim benefits in the UK and exempting them from waiting periods. Changes have also been made to ensure that the benefits and council tax of people hosting refugees under the Homes for Ukraine scheme are not affected.

Easter 2022

Scotland to pay £130 to families in receipt of Free School Meals.

Summer 2022

From 9 May 2022 Managed Migration is restarting. This is the process of moving people off legacy benefits and onto Universal Credit. Initially, it is being piloted in Medway and Bolton.

Wales to make £500 payment to carers who were in receipt of Carer's Allowance on 31 March 2022. Deadline to register is 15 July 2022. Registration is through local councils. 

Scotland to pay £130 to families in receipt of Free School Meals.

June 2022

Opening of Northern Ireland child funeral fund. 

20 June 2022: Introduction of Adult Disability Payment in Scotland for new claimants to disability benefits in Angus, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire.

Announcement of new grant for unpaid carers in Wales. Grant to be administered by Carers Trust Wales. Applications not yet open. 

July 2022

Northern Ireland to pay £13.50 per eligible child per week to families on free school meals between 1 July and 31 August.

25 July 2022: Introduction of Adult Disability Payment in Scotland for new claimants to disability benefits in Fife, City of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, North Ayrshire, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire.

From 14 July, first payments of £326 cost of living support payment to people in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-related ESA, income-based JSA and Income Support (NB: Tax Credits recipients will get the payment in September). Second payments will go out in autumn, dates TBC.

Universal Credit Managed Migration expanded to Falmouth and Truro

August 2022

Scotland to begin transferring working age adults in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) onto Scottish Adult Disability Payment.

29 August Adult Disability Payment opens for new applications across all of Scotland.

Universal Credit Managed Migration expanded to London Borough of Harrow

September 2022

6 September - existing PIP awards awaiting review have their automatic extension period increased from 3 months to 12 months. 

Payments of £326 cost of living support payment to people in receipt of Tax Credit, but not Income Support, income-related ESA or income-based JSA. 

Universal Credit Managed Migration expanded to Northumberland

26 September - increase in Administrative Earnings Threshold to £494 per month for single people and £782 per month for couples.

Payments of £150 cost of living support payment to people in receipt of disability benefits.

26 September - Wales launches £200 energy bill support scheme for people in receipt of means-tested benefits , disability benefits, or carers benefits. Payments are through councils.

October 2022

Survivors of modern slavery and domestic violence exempt from shared room rate of LHA.

Scotland to pay £130 to families in receipt of Free School Meals.

Payment of first monthly instalments of £400 energy bill support. Different suppliers are paying this in different ways. 

November 2022

6 Nov National Insurance goes down by 1.25 percentage points.

8-23 November - payments of second cost of living payment of £324 for people in receipt of Universal Credit, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, Income Support and Pension Credit.

14 November Scottish Child Payment increases to £25 per week, and expanded to families in Scotland with children under 16.

 

December 2022

Likely payment of second cost of living payment of £324 to people in receipt of tax credits and no other income-related benefit.

Scotland to pay £260 to families in receipt of Free School Meals.

Payment of £300 cost of living support payment to pensioners.

£400 to be taken off energy bills for almost all households. There are some exceptions for those whose bills are included in their rent, and people who live in park homes.

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

 

 

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.

2020

From 2020, Disability Benefits in Scotland were supposed to be changing. The Scottish government was planning take over responsibility for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Attendance Allowance. Because of disruption caused by coronavirus, the Scottish government has decided to delay this. 

This will only affect people who live in Scotland.

Coronavirus

In March 2020, an outbreak of coronavirus meant that many businesses had to close. This had a big effect on people's incomes and a range of changes were made. You can read about what to do in your situation in our coronavirus information pages.

• Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme: This is a scheme where the government helps employers to pay their employees' salaries. Individuals can only access this scheme through their employers.
• Self Employed Income Support Scheme: This is a scheme to where the government pays self-employed people a percentage of their usual profits. 
• Increase to Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit: Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit standard allowances were both temporarily increased by £1,000 per year.
• Changes to Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates: LHA rates, which affect how much help people in private rented accommodation can get with their rent, were increased to reflect the lower 30% of the rental market in each area in the UK.
• Suspension of Minimum Income Floor : The minimum income floor , which affects self-employed people claiming Universal Credit, was suspended to November 2020 and this was then extended to April 2021.

April 2020

Benefit freeze ending

The freeze which has kept most working-age benefits at the same level for the past four years, came to an end in April 2020. Most working age benefits have been increased by 1.3 percent. 

National Minimum Wage Increase

The National Living Wage (for workers aged 25 and over) has increased by 6.2% to £8.72 per hour.  The National Minimum wage increases to £8.20 per hour for 21-24 year olds, £6.45 per hour for 18-20 year olds and £4.55 for under 18s. The National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices rises to £4.15 per hour. There is more information about the National Minimum Wage on the Gov.uk website.

Parental Bereavement Leave and Pay

The government introduced a new legal entitlement to two weeks’ leave for employees who suffer the death of a child under 18 or a stillbirth after 24 weeks of pregnancy. Employed parents will also be able to claim pay for this period if they meet the qualifying conditions.  

June 2020

The free TV licence will no longer be available to all people 75 or over.  From 1 August 2020, you will have to be aged 75 or over and getting Pension Credit in order to qualify for the free licence -  although there has been an extension for some people who were already getting a free TV licence. You can find out more information from the TV Licensing website.

July 2020

Claimants will receive an additional fortnight’s worth of Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Income Support if they are on one of these benefits when they move over to Universal Credit

Winter 2020

From the 27 November of 2020, the Scottish government is planning to extend Winter Heating Assistance (which will replace the Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland) to families with severely disabled children

Claims for the new Scottish Child Payment are due to open in mid- to late- November, in preparation for the scheme beginning in February 2021.
 

Updated: November 2020