Exact dates Universal Credit and other DWP benefit payments will be increased this year

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed in the Autumn Statement last year that benefit payments would rise by 6.7% in April 2024 - so what date will they rise?

Millions of Universal Credit and other benefit claimants will see a boost in their payments this year.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirmed in the Autumn Statement last year that benefit payments would rise by 6.7% in April 2024. This is in line with September 2023's Consumer Price Index (CPI) level of inflation. State pension and Pension Credit will also be rising but by 8.5%.

The exact date your benefits will rise will depend on the benefit you claim and who you claim from, either HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The first benefits to see a rise are Housing Benefit - when rent is paid weekly and monthly - and Council Tax support. This is because they both rise with the new Council tax year and the week in which many rents change. According to the independent benefits advisory site, this rise will come on April 1 2024.

The second round of benefits to see a rise are Tax Credits - both working and child. The assessment year for both tax and tax credits runs from April 6 one year to April 5 the next year. This is the "tax year" and rates for Tax Credits increase from the first day of the tax year - which is Saturday, April 6. So if you are paid your Tax Credits on April 5 you will not see a higher payment, but if you receive your payments on April 7 you will.

The final round of rises will be for means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and employment support allowance (ESA). This rise will be introduced from the first Monday after the new tax year begins, so in 2024, this date will be Monday, April 8.

However, some Universal Credit payments will not see the rise until much later. This is due to the assessment period for Universal Credit.

Universal Credit is calculated based on your circumstances each month and these are called your "assessment periods" - if your circumstances change then the amount of Universal Credit you get that month could also change. Universal Credit payments are usually paid seven days after the assessment period.

Those whose assessment periods started before the April 8 rise will see the benefits rise in May however, those whose assessment period started after won't see it until June. So for example, if your assessment period starts on March 25 your assessment period would run until April 24. You would then get your payment a week later on Wednesday, May 1.

However, because your assessment period is from March to April, the new rates will have not been introduced yet so you will have to wait for another assessment period - from April 25 to May 24 - for the new increased rate to be passed on.

If your assessment period started after the April 8 rise, then your Universal Credit payment will be higher in May. For example, if your assessment period started on April 9 which is passed the rise date, so the increased date will be passed onto this assessment period. You do not need to do anything to get the increase as the DWP and HMRC will automatically increase it.