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Benefits · April 2027 forecast
April 2027 benefits increase calculator
Forecast, not confirmed: with September 2026 CPI at 3.5%, the Universal Credit standard allowance for a single person aged 25 or over must be at least £443.22 a month from April 2027 (up from £424.90), PIP enhanced daily living would be £118.60 a week and Pension Credit £247.30 a week for a single person, if DWP follows the rules below.
£443.22Universal Credit standard allowance a month, single 25 or over, from April 2027: legal minimum, forecast (now £424.90)
Forecast, not confirmed by DWP
April 2027 benefit rates forecast
2025/26 and 2026/27 rates are GOV.UK's. The April 2027 column is our forecast from the rule in the last column.
Weekly rates unless marked a month| Benefit | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | April 2027 (forecast) | Increase | Rule |
|---|
| Universal Credit standard allowance: Single, 25 or over (a month) | £400.14 | £424.90 | £443.22 | +£18.32 (4.31%) | Legal minimum under the Universal Credit Act 2025: September 2026 CPI (3.5%), then the 3.1% uplift for 2027-28 |
|---|
| Universal Credit standard allowance: Joint claimants, one or both 25 or over (a month) | £628.10 | £666.97 | £695.71 | +£28.74 (4.31%) | Legal minimum under the Universal Credit Act 2025: September 2026 CPI (3.5%), then the 3.1% uplift for 2027-28 |
|---|
| Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee: Single | £227.10 | £238.00 | £247.30 | +£9.30 (3.91%) | Assumption: in line with the State Pension's 3.9% earnings figure, as in April 2026 when both rose 4.8% |
|---|
| Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee: Couple | £346.60 | £363.25 | £377.40 | +£14.15 (3.9%) | Assumption: in line with the State Pension's 3.9% earnings figure, as in April 2026 when both rose 4.8% |
|---|
| PIP daily living component: Enhanced | £110.40 | £114.60 | £118.60 | +£4.00 (3.49%) | Assumed to rise by September 2026 CPI (3.5%), as in April 2026 with 3.8% |
|---|
| PIP daily living component: Standard | £73.90 | £76.70 | £79.40 | +£2.70 (3.52%) | Assumed to rise by September 2026 CPI (3.5%), as in April 2026 with 3.8% |
|---|
| PIP mobility component: Enhanced | £77.05 | £80.00 | £82.80 | +£2.80 (3.5%) | Assumed to rise by September 2026 CPI (3.5%), as in April 2026 with 3.8% |
|---|
| PIP mobility component: Standard | £29.20 | £30.30 | £31.35 | +£1.05 (3.47%) | Assumed to rise by September 2026 CPI (3.5%), as in April 2026 with 3.8% |
|---|
| Attendance Allowance: Higher | £110.40 | £114.60 | £118.60 | +£4.00 (3.49%) | Assumed to rise by September 2026 CPI (3.5%), as in April 2026 with 3.8% |
|---|
| Attendance Allowance: Lower | £73.90 | £76.70 | £79.40 | +£2.70 (3.52%) | Assumed to rise by September 2026 CPI (3.5%), as in April 2026 with 3.8% |
|---|
| Carer's Allowance: Weekly rate | £83.30 | £86.45 | £89.50 | +£3.05 (3.53%) | Assumed to rise by September 2026 CPI (3.5%), as in April 2026 with 3.8% |
|---|
| Contribution-based JSA and New Style ESA: 25 or over | £92.05 | £95.55 | £98.90 | +£3.35 (3.51%) | Assumed to rise by September 2026 CPI (3.5%), as in April 2026 with 3.8% |
|---|
| Contribution-based JSA and New Style ESA: Under 25 | £72.90 | £75.65 | £78.30 | +£2.65 (3.5%) | Assumed to rise by September 2026 CPI (3.5%), as in April 2026 with 3.8% |
|---|
Other benefits are not shown here because we have not checked their rates: Child Benefit, the Universal Credit standard allowance for single claimants under 25, Housing Benefit and Scottish benefits.
How it's worked out
Why each benefit rises by a different amount
UCUniversal Credit: a legal minimum
The Universal Credit Act 2025 says the standard allowance must be at least this: take the previous year's CPI-only amount, increase it by September CPI, then by an uplift of 2.3% for 2026-27 and 3.1% for 2027-28. The uplift is applied to the CPI-only amount each year, not on top of the last uplift. Single, 25 or over: £400.14 × 1.038 = £415.35; × 1.035 = £429.89; × 1.031 = £443.22 a month. Couple: £695.71 a month. Rounding each step to the penny gives DWP's actual April 2026 figures (£424.90 and £666.97), so we use it for 2027. Universal Credit Act 2025, section 1.
CPIPIP, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance
Assumed to follow September CPI as in previous years: each 2026/27 rate × 1.035, rounded to the nearest 5p. The same rule with September 2025 CPI (3.8%) gives every April 2026 rate in the table exactly. Carer's Allowance: £86.45 × 1.035 = £89.50 a week. ONS: CPI September 2026; ONS: CPI September 2025.
PCPension Credit: an assumption
DWP has not said how Pension Credit will rise. In April 2026 the standard minimum guarantee rose 4.8%, the same as the full new State Pension, so we assume it follows the State Pension's 3.9% for April 2027: £238.00 × 1.039 = £247.30 a week for a single person. See the State Pension increase 2027 calculator for the triple lock figures.
Rates for 2025/26 and 2026/27: GOV.UK: Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027. Increases a year use 52 weeks or 12 months. Your own award can include other elements (housing, children, disability or carer elements) that this page does not forecast.
Related
Related calculators.
01The triple lock gives 3.9% for April 2027: see your new weekly, 4-weekly, monthly and yearly State Pension.
02£12.71 an hour from April 2026: weekly, monthly and yearly gross and take-home pay for your hours and age band.
03Budget day is 28 October 2026: check your 2026/27 take-home pay in the UK or Scotland, before and after.
04Born on or before 27 June 1960? Check whether you get £100 to £300 this winter and whether HMRC takes it back above £35,000.
Helpful answers
April 2027 benefits FAQs.
How much will Universal Credit go up in April 2027?
By law the standard allowance must be at least £443.22 a month for a single person aged 25 or over (from £424.90, +£18.32) and £695.71 for a couple where one or both are 25 or over (from £666.97). This is a forecast from the Universal Credit Act 2025 and September 2026 CPI; DWP has not confirmed the rates.
What CPI figure is used?
3.5%, the Consumer Prices Index rise in the 12 months to September 2026, published by the ONS on 21 October 2026. September's CPI is the figure used each year for benefits that rise with inflation.
Why is Universal Credit rising by more than inflation?
The Universal Credit Act 2025 adds an uplift on top of CPI to the standard allowance for each year from 2026-27 to 2029-30: 2.3%, 3.1%, 4.0% and 4.8%. For April 2027 that means CPI of 3.5% plus the 3.1% uplift, applied to the CPI-only amount, which works out at 4.31% on this year's rate.
When will DWP confirm the April 2027 rates?
DWP has not confirmed them yet; check GOV.UK. Last year's rates were set out in a written ministerial statement on 26 November 2025 and published on GOV.UK the next day.
Does the Pension Credit rise follow CPI?
Not necessarily. In April 2026 the Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee rose 4.8%, in line with the State Pension's earnings link, not September 2025 CPI of 3.8%. Our forecast assumes 3.9% for April 2027, giving £247.30 a week for a single person, but DWP has not said.