2010 Benefit Uprating

From April 2010 rates of many benefits and Tax Credits will change, mostly they will increase by one of three factors:

+2.5% Basic State Pension
+1.8% Standard minimum guarantee Pension Credit, Income Support, Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit
+1.5% Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Child Benefit, Disability Living Allowance, Working & Child Tax Credits

The 1.5% increase is being paid by “bringing forward” a proportion of the increase expected in April 2011. Next year, any increase over 1.5% will be paid in the usual way.

For some benefits there is to be no increase in April 2010. For example, pensions on top of the basic state pension (additional pension, increments to the pension, Graduated Retirement Benefit) and dependency increases will remain at the same rates.

This note sets out the basis for the April 2010 uprating of the main social security benefits. It focuses on the Retirement Pension and Pension Credit but also contains a summary of the main benefit and tax credit rates before and after the uprating.