Brighton and Hove Benefits News and Resources
The national story tells a different picture – Average UK monthly private rent inflation continued to slow, increasing by 3.3%, to £1,383, in the 12 months to May 2026 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is down from 3.5% in the 12 months to April 2026. Average rents increased to £1,442 (3.4%) in England, £836…
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/budgeting1/get-help-with-bills/ There are things you can do if you’re struggling to pay your bills – for example your energy bills, rent and council tax. If you owe money and you’re struggling to pay You should speak to the organisations you owe money to – they might let you pay smaller amounts or take a break…
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/broken-fit-note-system-to-be-overhauled The government press release states, Patients, employers and GPs are set to benefit from an overhaul of the broken fit note system following the launch of several pilots by the Government today to reform the system for workers who fall ill. The current system sees some 11 million fit notes issued every year, with…
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-one-off-payment-under-the-successful-legacy-appeals-compensation-scheme Who the scheme is for In 2020, a Court of Appeal decision concluded that people who had an incorrect decision to end their legacy benefits later reversed, for example on appeal, could not be reinstated onto their legacy benefit if they had already claimed Universal Credit. However, where these same people had a lower…
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/april2026
https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/march2026 Private rent and house prices, UK: March 2026The Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR) measures private rent inflation for new and existing tenancies. The UK House Price Index (HPI) measures house price inflation.
Three reforms to universal credit, the UK’s main working-age means-tested benefit received by 6.6 million families, take effect on 6 April 2026. Together, they will change the incomes of almost all who receive the benefit … First, the real value of the UC standard allowance will be increased by 2.3% more than inflation … Second,…
This year’s Universal Credit uplift means that the basic rate of unemployment benefits will go up by more than inflation for the first time since 1983. But the real-terms value of unemployment benefit is still 5% lower than in 2010-11. By contrast, State Pension rose by 20% over the same period.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/29/disabled-benefit-claimants-face-lower-payments-if-conditions-not-deemed-lifelong-charities-say Hundreds of thousands of severely ill and disabled people making new claims will have their benefits cut if the government assesses that their condition might improve, charities have said. In April, the health element of universal credit – an extra payment for people assessed as too unwell to work or prepare for work –…
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/claiming/check-how-universal-credit-is-changing-in-2026/ 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…