DWP will increase benefit payment rates next month (Image: William Barton via Getty Images)
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) recently confirmed that benefits, including Carer’s Allowance, will rise by 1.7% next month. Benefit payments will increase for the 2025/26 financial year, in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate of inflation in September 2024.
has also confirmed that the new payment rates for disability benefits including Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA) and , among other benefits, will start from April 7.
The Scottish Government has also confirmed that Adult Disability Payment (ADP), Child Disability Payment, Pension Age Disability Payment (PADP) and Carer Support Payment will increase by 1.7 per cent from April 1. This will prevent a two-tier benefits system for people on devolved benefits or those still on the equivalent.
A successful claim for PIP or ADP is currently worth between £28.70 and £184.30 each week in additional financial support and as the benefit is paid every four weeks – resulting in 13 payments over the course of a year instead of 12 – this amounts to between £114.80 and £737.20 every payment period.
Weekly component rates for 2025/26
An uprating of 1.7 per cent will see people on disability benefits receive between £29.20 and £187.45 each week, some £116.80 to £749.80 every four-week pay period.
Over the course of the financial year, this will see people on the highest awards receive £9,747.40 in help – up from £9583.60 a year under the current rate, or an extra £163.80.
It’s crucial to note that the maximum amount of £749.80 is based on someone receiving the highest award for both the daily living and mobility components. does not include a mobility component, as reported by the
PIP, Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment and DLA
Weekly rates are shown for all benefits, most of which are paid every four weeks. To calculate your own uplift, simply find your award rate and multiply by four.
Daily living
- Lower care award (CDP, DLA only): £29.20 (from £28.70)
- Standard: £73.90 (from £72.65)
- Enhanced: £110.40 (from £108.55)
Mobility
- Standard: £29.20 (from £28.70)
- Enhanced: £77.05 (from £75.75)
Attendance Allowance
- Lower rate: £73.90 (from £72.65)
- Higher rate: £110.40 (from £108.55)
Carer’s Allowance
- Weekly payment rate: £83.30 (from £81.90)
- Four-week pay period: £333.20 £from £327.60)
The weekly earnings threshold for Carer’s Allowance in England and Wales will rise from £151 to £196, equivalent to 16 hours at the National Living Wage. You can find a full list of the new payment rates for all benefits on GOV.UK
PIP and ADP payment combinations 2025/26
Single component only
- Standard daily living only – £73.90 per week, £295.60 per pay period
- Enhanced daily living only – £110.40 per week, £441.60 per pay period
- Standard mobility only – £29.20 per week, £116.80 per pay period
- Enhanced mobility only – £77.05 per week, £308.20 per pay period
Standard rate of daily living and mobility
People on the standard rates of both components:
- Standard daily living and standard mobility – £103.10 per week, £412.40 per pay period
Higher rate of daily living and mobility
People on the higher rates of both components
- Enhanced daily living and enhanced mobility – £187.45 per week, £749.80 per pay period.
Mixed awards
People on the standard rate of one component and the higher rate of the other:
- Standard daily living and enhanced mobility – £150.95 per week, £603.80 per pay period
- Enhanced daily living and standard mobility – £139.60 per week, £558.40 per pay period
The latest stats show that just over one in three cases (36%) received the highest level of PIP award of £737.20.
The online PIP ‘test’
If you’re considering applying for PIP or ADP, an online ‘PIP test’ could be a useful tool. This test, provided by the independent benefits advisory forum, Benefits and Work, gives an indication of how many points you might be awarded, which can help determine whether you’d receive the standard or enhanced rate.
However, it’s crucial to understand that this free online test is not a guarantee of eligibility for PIP or ADP. When applying to the for PIP or Social Security Scotland for ADP, other eligibility factors are taken into account, including supporting evidence on how a disability, physical or mental illness, or long-term health condition affects you.
According to guidance on GOV.UK, entitlement to PIP is not based solely on an individual’s health condition or disability, but on how much a long-term health condition or disability impacts an individual’s daily life or mobility. The PIP self-test is completely anonymous and includes questions plus the points awarded for each descriptor answer.
It should will help you understand whether you would score enough points to receive PIP for each component (daily living and mobility), and whether you would qualify for the standard or enhanced rate of each component.
If you submit your email on the self-test page, you’ll also receive a copy of your results, which could assist you in accurately completing the ‘How your disability affects you’ evidence form that you’ll receive from the . You can take the PIP self-test online
The process for applying for ADP in Scotland is slightly different, as it can be done online and the questions asked include images and more detail to aid understanding. More information about the ADP assessment questions can be found on the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) website
Despite new claims for PIP being replaced by ADP in Scotland, the eligibility criteria remain largely the same. Comprehensive guidance on ADP can be found on the MYGOV.SCOT website
Who qualifies for PIP or ADP?
To qualify for PIP or ADP, you must have a health condition or disability that has caused difficulties with daily living or mobility for three months, and these difficulties are expected to continue for at least nine months. Typically, you need to have resided in the UK for at least two of the past three years and be in the country when you apply.
In addition to what we have outlined above, if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP or ADP.
- preparing, cooking or eating food
- managing your medication
- washing, bathing or using the toilet
- dressing and undressing
- engaging and communicating with other people
- reading and understanding written information
- making decisions about money
- planning a journey or following a route
- moving around
Different rules apply if you are terminally ill, which can be found on the GOV.UK website .