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Guidance

A14/2025 Housing Benefit uprating for the financial year ending March 2027

Updated 6 March 2026

漏 Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at /government/publications/housing-benefit-adjudication-circulars-2025/a142025-housing-benefit-uprating-for-the-financial-year-ending-march-2027

1. Who should read

All Housing Benefit听(HB) colleagues and wider if appropriate.

2. Action

For information.

3. Subject

Housing Benefit uprating for the听financial year听ending March 2027.

4. Queries

You can get听extra copies of this circular/copies of previous circulars.

If you want to ask about the technical content of this circular, contact:听housing.policyenquiries@dwp.gov.uk.

If you want to ask about the distribution of this circular, contact:听lawelfare.correspondence@dwp.gov.uk.

Crown Copyright 2025
Recipients may freely reproduce this circular.

5. Guidance Manual听

The information in this circular does affect the content of the Housing听Benefit听and听Council Tax Benefit听Manual and the Housing听Benefit听Overpayments Guide.听

Housing Benefit听and Council Tax Benefit听Manual:听Please annotate this circular number against听paragraph听A4 4.750, 4.900, A5 Annex A, BW3 Annex A and BP3 Annex听A.听听听

Housing听Benefit听Overpayments Guide:听Please annotate this circular number against听paragraphs 4.260听to听4.264.

6. Introduction听

1. In his听听to Parliament on听26听November 2025, the Secretary of State for the Department for Work and Pensions announced proposals for the social security benefit rates which will apply from April 2026.听听听

2. This circular听advises听you of the rates so you can take the听appropriate action.听Note: At the time of writing, the听Orders or regulations听bringing the changes into effect are still subject to the听appropriate parliamentary听process.听

3. Any queries about the information contained in this circular should be emailed to听housing.policyenquiries@dwp.gov.uk听

7. Timing听

4. In line with听previous听practice, the main Housing Benefit uprating will be introduced in advance of the setting of the main social security benefit rates. To coincide with the week in which many rents change, the听2026听uprating will take effect on:听

  • Wednesday听1 April 2026听for cases to which听regulation 79(3)(a)(i)听of the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006听(for Working Age customers) and听regulation听59(3)(a)(i)听of the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for听State听Pension听Credit (SPC)) Regulations 2006听(for people who have attained the qualifying age for Pension Credit) applies, when rent is paid monthly or at any interval which is not a week or multiples of a week.听听

  • Monday听6听April 2026听for cases to which听regulation听79(3)(a)(ii)听of the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006听(for听Working听Age customers) and听regulation听59(3)(a)(ii)听of the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for听State听Pension听Credit) Regulations 2006听(for people who have attained the qualifying age for Pension Credit) applies, when rent is paid on a weekly basis (or multiple of a week).听听

5. The main points are:听

  • The basic听State Retirement Pension and the full rate of the new State Retirement Pension are being uprated by听4.8%听in line with Average Weekly Earnings and the triple lock听in听the听financial year听ending (FYE) March 2027.听

  • The Standard Minimum Guarantee in Pension Credit听is being increased by听4.8%听this year听to match the cash increase in the basic State Pension.听The Savings Credit maximum is increased by听the听Consumer Prices Index (CPI)听at听3.8%听in听the听FYE March 2027.听

  • Premiums paid to pensioner recipients of Working Age benefits will continue to be uprated to match Pension Credit rates.听

  • Premiums paid to disabled people receiving听Working听Age听benefits and to Employment and Support Allowance claimants in the Support Group, will听increase听by听CPI at听3.8%听in听the听FYE March 2027.听

  • Working Age benefits (main rates听and certain premiums and additions), including听the main elements of Universal听Credit听and HB personal allowances,听will increase听by听CPI at听3.8% in听the听FYE March听2027.听

9. Uprating of social security benefits: general听

6. The following regulations allow you to take account of these rates on听1听April 2026听as听appropriate:听听

  • Regulations 42(8) and 79(3) of the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006听

  • Regulations 41(9), 41(10) and 59(3) of the Housing Benefit (Persons who have听attained听the qualifying age for听State听Pension听Credit) Regulations 2006.听

Associated guidance is set out in 听at听Chapter听BP2听paragraph听P2.790.听听

7. There is no provision in regulations to uprate a claimant鈥檚 social security benefit other than by using the correct amount. Most claimants will know their rates of benefit well before April each year.听

8. We are aware that many local authorities鈥� (LAs) IT systems apply a percentage increase to uprate income from other social security benefits in the assessment of HB. In previous years we have听advised听that this method should, in most cases, produce听accurate听results; providing the LA has satisfied itself as to the accuracy of its method, it should be able to meet its duty to make proper determinations.听

9. However, given the fact that in recent years some of the components paid in addition to the main rates of some benefits and the main rates themselves have been uprated by different indices, LAs should consider carefully whether applying standard percentages will result in correct determinations.听听听

10. LAs should also听take into account听that specific Automated Transfer to Local听Authority听Systems (ATLAS) uprating notifications are issued for all benefits on听CIS (Customer Information System)听except for:听

  • Attendance Allowance听

  • Disability Living Allowance听

  • Personal Independence Payment听

  • Armed Forces Independence Payment听

  • Adult Disability Payment听

  • Child Disability Payment听

  • Carer鈥檚 Allowance听

  • State Retirement Pension听听

  • Bereavement Benefits听

  • Widow鈥檚 Benefit听听

  • Pension Age Disability Payment听

  • Carer鈥檚 Support Payment听

  • Scottish Adult Disability Allowance听听

11. Should an LA decide to apply a percentage increase to uprate income, as a minimum, any information听subsequently听received听through听ATLAS should be compared with existing LA system data to ensure it matches.听听

12. Since December 2019, LAs have had the facility to use the automation of the Pensions Strategy Computer System (PSCS) uprating process. This allows LAs to use an Application Programming听Interface to look up the PSCS benefit amount when needed and removes the requirement for LAs to manually apply the uprating increase to the PSCS amount when conducting their yearly uprating review of claimants鈥� HB claims as the uprating process can be automated.听听

10. New benefit rates听

13. All the听proposed new rates are available on听扒哥吃瓜.听听

11. War Pensions听

14. The new rates for War Pensions are not yet听available听and details of the new rates will be issued听through听a separate circular once Veterans UK听releases听the figures.听

12. Specific points of interest听

12.1 Non-dependant deductions in HB听

15. The听.听听

12.2 Disregards in HB which remain unchanged听

16. The childcare disregards in HB remain at:听

  • 拢175.00 for one child听

  • 拢300.00 for two or more children听听

17. The听additional听earnings disregard in HB听remains听at 拢17.10. See听 Chapter BW2 paragraphs W2.132 to W2.140.

12.3 Deductions for ineligible fuel charges听

18. The听government has decided to听freeze听the rates for statutory fuel deductions from HB for听the FYE March听2027.听The听.听

12.4 One room rate deduction听

19. The formula for the one room rate deduction is set out in HB Regulations 2006 at Schedule 1, part 2, paragraph 6(2)(a) to (c) and (3). Sub-paragraph (3)听states听the ineligible amount for service charges when the accommodation consists of only one room shall be one half of the aggregate of the amounts specified in sub-paragraph (2)(a), (b) and (c).听

12.5 State Pension Credit: maximum Savings Credit听听

20. The amount of the maximum Savings Credit will be听拢17.96听for a single person and听拢20.10听for a couple. These figures cannot be used to calculate a likely Savings Credit entitlement from April 2026. Savings Credit is calculated on an individual basis, using the income and capital of that person. In addition, HB (SPC)听Regulation 27 states that the Pension Service calculation of income, capital and Savings Credit must be used.听

12.6 National Insurance contribution rates听听听听听

21. A full set of rates for the FYE March 2027听will be available on听扒哥吃瓜听from听6听April 2026.听听

12.7 Establishing eligible rent听听

22. The calculation of eligible rent for a claimant renting in the social and private sectors is not affected by this circular or by the uprating of benefits overall. It continues to subject to the rules in Part 3 of the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006 and Part 3 of the HB (SPC) Regulations 2006.

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