In Budget 2025, the government has set out that – the universal credit standard allowance will increase by more than 6 per cent in April 2026 in line with the Universal Credit Act 2025;other working age benefit rates covered by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions’ statutory review will be increased by 3.8…
Budget 2025 fact sheet: Cutting the Cost of Living
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/budget-2025-fact-sheet-cutting-the-cost-of-living This Budget takes levies off energy bills to save families £150 on average next year, and up to £300 for some poorer households. The historic decision to remove the two-child limit in full from April 2026 will lift 450,000 children out of poverty -rising to around 550,000 alongside other measures announced this year, such…
Check how Universal Credit is changing in 2026
If you have a long-term health condition or a disabilityYou might get an additional payment with your Universal Credit called the ‘limited capability for work-related activity’ (LCWRA) element. This is £423.27 extra each month, but the amount will be smaller for most people who start getting it on, or after, 6 April 2026 – it…
Implementing the Renters’ Rights Act 2025: Our roadmap for reforming the Private Rented Sector
Phase 1: From 1 May 202611. In Phase 1 we will: a. abolish section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions – landlords in the PRS will no longer be able to use section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 to evict their tenants. b. introduce Assured Periodic Tenancies in the private rented sector (PRS) – the vast…
Government agrees to end ‘rigid focus’ on weekly 35-hour job search rules after Committee report
The Government has signalled it will end the ‘rigid focus’ on the 35-hour a week job search requirements for out of work benefit claimants after a Work and Pensions Committee report called on it to scrap blanket benefit requirements. In its response to the Committee’s Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres report published today, the DWP…
Falling Behind: The government is failing private renters by freezing Local Housing Allowance
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publications/falling-behind-the-government-is-failing-private-renters-by-freezing-local/ Executive SummaryLocal Housing Allowance (LHA) is intended to ensure the cheapest 30% of properties in an area are affordable to people on low incomes. To do this, LHA was designed to increase as rents increase, by being regularly set at the 30th percentile of local rents. However, it has endured a period of successive…
Average room rent in UK towns and cities
https://www.spareroom.co.uk/content/info-flatsharing/average-rent-uk-towns-cities/ Brighton £766 London £995
Estimates of take-up report provides estimates of take-up for income-related benefits within the entitled pensioner population.
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-ending-2024/income-related-benefits-estimates-of-take-up-financial-year-ending-2024 Pension CreditThe estimates show that: caseload: 6 out of 10 of those entitled to PC claimed the benefit in FYE 202462% of those entitled to Pension Credit claimed the benefit in FYE 2024, which was a decrease from FYE 2023, when 65% claimed the benefit – this difference is not statistically significantexpenditure: 71% of…
Housing Indicators
https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/major-programme/housing-indicators/ Housing is fundamental to living standards. It is most families’ largest expense, meaning disposable incomes are highly sensitive to changes in rents or mortgage payments. Our housing indicators track how housing is affecting living standards in the UK. Drawing on a range of data sources, the indicators below cover housing affordability, quality and supply.
The Renters’ Rights Act is here — but the work is just beginning
https://wearecitizensadvice.org.uk/the-renters-rights-act-is-here-but-the-work-is-just-beginning-1308fb226853 After years of waiting, the Renters’ Rights Act has finally received Royal Assent and passed into law. We’ve campaigned hard for this, and are thrilled to see that it holds many important wins for private renters. From ending Section 21 evictions and limiting unaffordable upfront rent demands, to improving housing standards, the Act represents…