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Check how Universal Credit is changing in 2026

This advice applies to Wales. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Scotland

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The government have announced changes to Universal Credit that will affect everyone from April 2026. These changes are the result of the Universal Credit Act 2025 and the November 2025 budget.

The amount of Universal Credit you get will change. This is because the Universal Credit 'standard allowance' is increasing. A monthly Universal Credit payment is made up of a standard allowance plus any additional amounts you might get based on your circumstances.

The government are also planning to remove the 2 child limit for Universal Credit from April 2026. This means you might get more Universal Credit if you’re responsible for 3 or more children.

You might also be affected by the April 2026 changes if you get an additional amount because you have a long-term health condition or a disability. This payment is called the 'limited capability for work-related activity' (LCWRA) element. The amount is decreasing for most people who apply for the LCWRA element on or after 6 April 2026.

If you get any other benefits, they will not be affected - the changes only apply to Universal Credit. For example, if you get Personal Independence Payment (PIP), it will not be affected by these changes.

Report your condition or disability as soon as possible

From 6 April 2026, the LCWRA payment will be either a higher amount of £429.80 a month or a lower amount of £217.26 a month. 

You should report your condition or disability and ask for a health assessment as soon as possible. 

If you do this before 6 April and the DWP later say you have LCWRA, you’ll get the higher amount. 

You can do this if:

  • you’re applying for Universal Credit

  • you already get Universal Credit but don’t currently have LCWRA

Most people who do this on or after 6 April and get LCWRA will get the lower amount.

Check how to report your health condition or disability for Universal Credit - use the section ‘Tell the DWP you have difficulty working’.

Check how the Universal Credit ‘standard allowance’ is changing

Everyone’s Universal Credit includes a ‘standard allowance’. How much you get depends on your age and if you live with a partner.

The standard amount will increase for everyone in April 2026.

Your circumstances Standard amount before 6 April 2026 Standard amount from 6 April 2026
Your circumstances

Single and under 25
Standard amount before 6 April 2026

£316.98 a month
Standard amount from 6 April 2026

£338.58 a month
Your circumstances

Single and 25 or over
Standard amount before 6 April 2026

£400.14 a month
Standard amount from 6 April 2026

£424.90 a month
Your circumstances

Living with a partner and both under 25
Standard amount before 6 April 2026

£497.55 a month
Standard amount from 6 April 2026

£528.34 a month
Your circumstances

Living with a partner and one or both over 25

Standard amount before 6 April 2026

£628.10 a month
Standard amount from 6 April 2026

£666.97 a month

If you have 3 or more children

If you claim Universal Credit, you can get an extra amount for any children or qualifying young people you’re responsible for. This extra money is called the ‘child element’.

Under the current rules, you can only usually claim a child element for your first 2 children. To claim for any more children, they usually must have been born before 6 April 2017.

The government are planning to remove this 2 child limit from April 2026. This means you might be able to get a child element for each child, including if you have 3 or more. This will depend on your circumstances.

The government haven’t confirmed how this change will work - we’ll update our advice when we know more.

The 2 child limit still applies until April 2026. You can check how much Universal Credit you’ll get under the current rules.

If you have a long-term health condition or a disability

You might get an additional payment with your Universal Credit called the 'limited capability for work-related activity' (LCWRA) element. Currently, everyone who gets the LCWRA element gets £423.27 extra each month.

From 6 April 2026, the payment for the LCWRA element will either be a higher amount of £429.80 a month or a lower amount of £217.26 a month - this depends if you meet certain health criteria.

If you’re thinking of applying for Universal Credit

If you’re eligible for Universal Credit, you might get more money if you have difficulty working because you’re sick, are disabled or have a long-term health condition.

The DWP might say you have either:

  • 'limited capability for work' (LCW)

  • 'limited capability for work and work-related activity' (LCWRA)

If you have a long-term condition or disability, you should apply for Universal Credit, report your health condition or disability and ask for a health assessment as soon as possible.

If you do this before 6 April 2026, it will start the process to assess if you have LCW or LCWRA. If the DWP decide you have LCWRA then you’ll get the higher amount. 

If you do this on or after April 6 and the DWP decide you have LCWRA, you’ll only get the higher amount if:

  • the DWP say you meet their ‘severe conditions’ criteria

  • you’re terminally ill and your health professional says you might not live more than a year

  • you started getting the support component of the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) before 6 April, and continue to get it until you claim Universal Credit 

If none of these apply then you’ll get the lower amount. 

Make sure you explain how your condition or disability makes it hard for you to work on your Universal Credit application form. 

Check how to report your health condition or disability for Universal Credit - use the section ‘Tell the DWP you have difficulty working’.

Check if you’ll meet ‘severe conditions’ criteria if you apply on or after 6 April

The DWP assess how difficult you find certain everyday activities to decide if you have LCW or LCWRA. They use statements called ‘descriptors’ to describe how difficult you find certain tasks.

If you report your health condition or disability on or after 6 April, the DWP will also use these descriptors to decide if you meet their new ‘severe conditions’ criteria.

Some descriptors automatically mean you have LCWRA - for example, if you cannot walk more than 50 metres without help, or do a simple task like setting an alarm clock. 

For you to meet the ‘severe conditions’ criteria, at least 1 of these automatic LCWRA descriptors must apply to you in all these ways:

  • at all times, or whenever you try to do the activity described by the descriptor

  • permanently, for the rest of your life

  • because of a medical condition or disability diagnosed by the NHS

If they decide you have LCWRA and meet these criteria, you’ll get the higher amount for the LCWRA element. 

If they decide you have LCWRA but don’t meet these criteria, you’ll get the lower amount. 

Check the descriptors for different types of condition or disability.

If you’re already claiming benefits

Universal Credit is gradually replacing:

  • Housing Benefit

  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

  • income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

  • Income Support

If you get one of these, you should have got a letter telling you to claim Universal Credit. This is a ‘migration notice’. If you’ve received one, you should apply for Universal Credit.

Talk to an adviser if you haven't received a migration notice.

If you get Universal Credit but don’t have ‘limited capability for work and work-related activity’ (LCWRA)

You might get more Universal Credit if you have difficulty working because you’re sick, are disabled or have a long-term health condition.

The DWP might say you have either:

  • 'limited capability for work' (LCW)

  • 'limited capability for work and work-related activity' (LCWRA)

If you have a long-term condition or disability, you should report your health condition or disability and ask for a health assessment as soon as possible.

If you do this before 6 April 2026, it will start the process to assess if you have LCW or LCWRA. If the DWP decide you have LCWRA then you’ll get the higher amount. 

If you do this on or after 6 April and the DWP say you have LCWRA, you’ll only get the higher amount if:

  • the DWP say you meet their ‘severe conditions’ criteria

  • you’re terminally ill and your health professional says you might not live more than a year

If neither of these apply then you’ll get the lower amount.

You can tell the DWP about your health condition or disability on your online account or by calling the Universal Credit helpline.

Check how to report your health condition or disability for Universal Credit - use the section ‘Tell the DWP you have difficulty working’.

Check if you’ll meet ‘severe conditions’ criteria if you apply on or after 6 April

The DWP will assess how difficult you find certain everyday activities to decide if you have LCW or LCWRA. They’ll use statements called ‘descriptors’ to describe how difficult you find certain tasks.

Some descriptors automatically mean you have LCWRA - for example, if you cannot walk more than 50 metres without help, or do a simple task like setting an alarm clock. 

If you apply for LCWRA on or after 6 April, the DWP will also use these descriptors to decide if you meet their ‘severe conditions’ criteria.

For you to meet the ‘severe conditions’ criteria, at least 1 of the automatic LCWRA descriptors must apply to you in all these ways:

  • at all times, or whenever you try to do the activity described by the descriptor

  • permanently, for the rest of your life

  • because of a medical condition or disability diagnosed by the NHS

If they decide you have LCWRA and meet these criteria, you’ll get the higher amount for the LCWRA element. If they decide you have LCWRA but don’t meet these criteria, you’ll get the lower amount. 

Check the descriptors for different types of condition or disability.

If you already get LCW

You usually will not get any extra money for LCW. If you get LCW and your condition has become worse, you might get LCWRA instead. 

If your condition has got worse and you tell the DWP before 6 April and the DWP decide you have LCWRA, you’ll get the higher amount. 

If the DWP decide to reassess you before 6 April and they decide you have LCWRA, you’ll also get the higher amount. 

If your reassessment starts on or after 6 April and the DWP say you have LCWRA, you’ll only get the higher amount if:

  • the DWP say you meet their ‘severe conditions’ criteria

  • you’re terminally ill and your health professional says you might not live more than a year

If neither of these apply to you then you’ll get the lower amount.

Talk to an adviser to check if you might be able to get LCWRA with your Universal Credit.

If you’re waiting for your first ‘limited capability for work and work-related activity’ (LCWRA) payment

If the DWP say you have 'limited capability for work and work-related activity' (LCWRA), there’s usually a 3 month wait before you start getting the additional payment.

If your 3 month wait has already started or it starts before 6 April 2026, you’ll get the higher amount when your LCWRA payments start.

If you already get a ‘limited capability for work and work-related activity’ (LCWRA) payment

You don’t need to do anything.

The amount you get will not go down because of the April 2026 changes. You will not get less than you do now.

The current LCWRA element amount is £423.27 each month. From April 6, you’ll get the higher amount of £429.80 a month.

If you get Personal Independence Payment (PIP)

Earlier in 2025, the government proposed changes to who can get PIP. They aren’t going ahead with these, but will consider future changes. They might happen in 2026.

If you’re thinking of applying for PIP, you should. You’re more likely to get PIP if you apply before the rules change. You can check if you’re eligible for PIP.

If you’re worried about other benefit changes

The government have also discussed future changes to other benefits. You might have read about some of this in the news.

Any changes are unlikely to happen before 2027. If anything is announced, we'll update our advice.

Help us improve our website

Take 5 minutes to tell us if you found what you needed on our website. Your feedback will help us give millions of people the information they need.

Page last reviewed on 26 August 2025