Benefits news
505 stories on benefits, newest first. Every story is dated and cites its sources.
- November 2026
Cold Weather Payment scheme opens for 2026-27 winter
The Department for Work and Pensions has opened the 2026-27 Cold Weather Payment season, paying £25 for each seven-day period of freezing weather in England and Wales until 31 March 2027.
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment payments begin in Scotland
Social Security Scotland has confirmed the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will be issued automatically from November 2026 to around 1.4 million pensioners in Scotland, with amounts of between £105.55 and £316.70.
- October 2026
Warm Home Discount £150 payments to begin on Monday for around six million households
The Warm Home Discount takes £150 off energy bills once during winter, and around six million households now qualify, with payments beginning on Monday 2 November 2026.
DWP issues first Eligibility Verification Notice under new anti-fraud powers
The Department for Work and Pensions has issued its first Eligibility Verification Notice, requiring banks to share information to help check benefit entitlement, under powers expected to save £1.2 billion by 2030/31.
Government announces end to Carer's Allowance earnings cliff edge
HM Treasury has announced that the Carer's Allowance earnings cliff edge will be replaced by a taper of £1 lost for every £1 earned above the weekly limit, but not until 2030-31.
DWP publishes income-related benefits take-up estimates for 2024/25
The Department for Work and Pensions has estimated that up to 2.6 million families were entitled to Universal Credit or equivalent benefits but did not receive them in 2024/25, with up to £12.7 billion unclaimed.
Full state pension to rise by £9.40 a week to around £250.70 from April 2027 under the triple lock
The full new State Pension will rise by £9.40 a week to around £250.70 from April 2027, after average earnings growth of 3.9 per cent set the triple lock increase.
Cornwall Council launches consultation on Council Tax Support changes
Cornwall Council has opened a consultation on its Council Tax Support scheme for working-age households, setting out options that would cut the maximum level of support from 75% to as low as 55%.
Telephone claims for 2026 to 2027 Winter Fuel Payment open
Telephone claims for the 2026 to 2027 Winter Fuel Payment opened on Monday 19 October 2026 for pensioners who will not be paid automatically, with a deadline of 31 March 2027.
Warm Home Discount helpline opens for winter 2026/27
The DWP has confirmed the Warm Home Discount helpline for winter 2026/27 opened on October 19, 2026, with a £150 discount on electricity bills for eligible low-income households.
Carers UK analysis finds 26,000 unpaid carers £7,011 a year worse off from state pension age rise
Carers UK analysis estimates that about 26,000 unpaid carers will spend an extra year on working-age benefits as the State Pension age rises to 67, losing £7,011 a year each.
PIP review report to be published before the end of the year
Sir Stephen Timms has said the report of the review of Personal Independence Payment he co-chairs will be published before the end of the year, after being asked in the Commons about cash payments.
Report finds 1.65 million pensioners missing out on council tax reduction worth up to £2,392 a year
A report says 1.65 million pensioners are missing out on Council Tax Reduction worth up to £2,392 a year, with only half of those eligible claiming it in England.
Household Electricity Discount Scheme starts with £63 discount for around 860,000 NI households
Around 860,000 households in Northern Ireland will receive a £63 electricity discount from 6 October 2026, applied automatically by suppliers under the Household Electricity Discount Scheme.
New Housing Benefit earned income disregards due to come into force
The Department for Work and Pensions has laid corrective regulations so that new Housing Benefit earned income disregards for claimants in specified or temporary accommodation take effect as planned on 5 October 2026.
Scottish application window opens for broader group
Scottish households receiving means-tested benefits that do not qualify them automatically for the Warm Home Discount can apply through their energy supplier from October 2026.
Warm Home Discount scheme to reopen in Autumn 2026
Ofgem says the Warm Home Discount will reopen in Autumn 2026, with £150 rebates paid to eligible households in England, Scotland and Wales during the 2026 to 2027 scheme year.
- September 2026
Healthy Start weekly payments rise to £4.65 and £9.30 and application rules updated
Government guidance updated on 24 September 2026 confirms Healthy Start weekly payments of £4.65 per child under four and £9.30 per child under one, with new application and evidence rules.
Funded employment scheme extension added to universal credit reclaims rule
Regulations laid before Parliament insert new paragraphs into the universal credit claims and payments rules from 22 September 2026, extending a funded employment scheme to reclaims.
Winter Fuel Payment 2026 opt-out deadline
The deadline to opt out of the Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2026/27 falls on 20 September 2026, with claims for the payment opening the following day and qualifying week running from 21 to 27 September.
Annual eligibility checks for free school meals begin from the 2026/27 school year
Free school meals eligibility in England will be checked every year from the 2026/27 school year, ahead of the October census, alongside an expansion of eligibility from September 2026.
Crisis and Resilience Fund rolled out across local authorities
The Crisis and Resilience Fund, which replaced the Household Support Fund in April 2026, has now been rolled out across local authorities in England, according to Turn2us.
Free school meal eligibility expanded in England
Free school meals in England are extended from September 2026 to all pupils in households receiving Universal Credit, removing the £7,400 net earnings cap and adding an estimated 500,000 children.
Winter Fuel Payment replaced in Scotland by Pension Age Winter Heating Payment
The Winter Fuel Payment no longer applies in Scotland, where it has been replaced by the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment, with rates of up to £316.70 for winter 2026/27.
- August 2026
Deadline to extend Child Benefit for 16 to 19-year-olds in education or training
Parents of 16 to 19-year-olds continuing in approved education or training must extend their Child Benefit claim by 31 August or payments stop automatically, HMRC has said.
Co-chair update on the Timms Review of PIP published
The Department for Work and Pensions and Sir Stephen Timms have published a co-chair update on the progress of the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment, dated 12 August 2026.
Eligibility statement for Warm Home Discount 2026 to 2027 published
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has published the Warm Home Discount eligibility statement for England and Wales for the 2026 to 2027 scheme year, setting out who qualifies.
Free school meals eligibility expands in England to all families on Universal Credit
Free school meals in England are now open to all families on Universal Credit from the start of this term, with government estimates suggesting an extra 500,000 children qualify.
Housing Benefit migration to Universal Credit under way
Housing Benefit is being replaced by Universal Credit, with the Department for Work and Pensions sending migration notices that set a deadline to apply, and new claims restricted to pensioners and some supported housing.
- July 2026
Timms Review Interim Report finds PIP no longer fit for purpose
The Timms Review's interim report, published in July 2026, found Personal Independence Payment no longer fit for purpose, and disabled people are now being invited to help shape its final recommendations.