Income Support claimants will see their payment rates increase next year, after the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed how much benefits will rise by in 2025.

New claims now go straight to Universal Credit, but many still receive Income Support. It was awarded to single people and couples of working age with no income or a low income, and no more than £16,000 in savings, living in England, Scotland or Wales.

Claimants can work part-time - fewer than 16 hours a week, and their partner can work fewer than 24 hours a week)

They must also be at least one of the following:

  • pregnant
  • a lone parent (including a lone adoptive parent) with a child under 5
  • a lone foster parent with a child under 16
  • a single person looking after a child under 16 before they’re adopted
  • a carer
  • on maternity, paternity or parental leave
  • unable to work and you receive Statutory Sick Pay, Incapacity Benefit or Severe Disablement Allowance
  • in full-time education (not university), aged between 16 and 20, and a parent
  • in full-time education (not university), aged between 16 and 20, and not living with a parent or someone acting as a parent
  • a refugee learning English - your course needs to be at least 15 hours a week, and you must have started it within 12 months of entering the UK
  • in custody or due to attend court or a tribunal

They do not need a permanent address - it can be awarded to people who sleep rough, or live in a hostel or care home.

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Use a benefits calculator to find out what other benefits you could get, for example Personal Independence Payment (PIP) if you have a long-term health condition or disability.

The benefit cap has been frozen for 2025/26. This may affect the total amount of benefit you can get. 

What are the DWP Income Support upratings for 2025 to 2026?

Personal Allowances will increase from £71.70 to £72.90 for single people under 25 and lone parents aged under 18, and from £90.50 to £92.05 for those aged 25 and over, or those who are over 18 and lone parents.

Couples who are both under 18 will also get an increase from £71.70 to £72.90, or for those who qualify for the higher rate, that will go from £108.30 to £110.15.

Where both are 18 or over it goes up from £142.25 to £144.65.

This varies where partners fall into different age bands - see the table below. 

(Image: DWP)

Premium increases

The premiums will also go up, so for a family or lone parent that's an additional £19.48, up from £19.15.

For pension-age couples the premium goes from £190.70 to £201.95 - that's a larger percentage rise because it takes into account the triple lock.

The disability premium for a single person increases from £42.50 to £43.20, and for a couple it goes from £60.60 to £61.65.

The enhanced disability premium will go from £20.85 to £21.20. For a disabled child that moves from £32.20 to £32.75, and for a couple from £29.75 to £30.25.

The severe disability rate goes from £81.50 to £82.90, and the couples rate goes from £81.50 to £82.90 (lower rate) and £163 to £165.80 (higher rate).

The disabled child severe disability rate goes from £80.01 to £81.37, and for carers it increases from £45.60 to £46.40.

The relevant sum for strikers will go from £50 to £51.

(Image: DWP)