November 2025 payments dates for PIP, benefits and pensions plus cost of living support

As the tip of 2025 attracts nearer, larger payments mixed with decrease temperatures imply many will likely be going through elevated prices within the strategy to Christmas.

For tens of millions throughout the nation, managing the price of dwelling stays a every day battle as costs proceed to rise sooner than family incomes.

Regardless of inflation returning to pre-pandemic ranges, the price of items has remained persistently excessive within the face of stagnant wages. On the similar time, exorbitant family payments imply tens of millions are grappling with money owed to afford the necessities.

Round 14 million adults are going with out meals as a result of they can not afford it, current analysis by the Trussell Belief discovered. In the meantime, power arrears have greater than doubled over the previous 5 years, rising to £4.4bn by the tip of June.

Anti-poverty charity the Joseph Rowntree Basis has stated that low-income households within the UK are on track for the worst fall in dwelling requirements on file by the following election in 2029.

Towards this tough financial backdrop, it will be important that households declare all of the assist they’re entitled to. There are actually round 24 million individuals within the nation claiming some mixture of DWP-administered advantages, which embrace these drawing a state pension, representing round one in three individuals.

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But new analysis by Coverage in Apply exhibits that £24bn price of advantages goes unclaimed yearly – you need to use its useful calculator to work out what you could be entitled to.

Are you dwelling in a family affected by the two-child profit cap? Get in contact through electronic mail: [email protected]

Right here is an outline of the monetary assist out there to households this November and key dates for profit and state pension recipients to look out for:

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Get a free fractional share price as much as £100.
Capital in danger.

Phrases and situations apply.

Go to web site

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Profit fee dates in November

Profit funds will likely be going out as regular in November, as there aren’t any financial institution holidays to pay attention to. These embrace:

For extra info on how and when state advantages are paid, go to the federal government’s web site.

The DWP is aiming to finish the migration of all “legacy advantages” to common credit score by January 2026. These receiving tax credit, earnings assist, jobseeker’s allowance, and housing profit ought to have obtained a discover about transferring to common credit score already.

Are you having points with PIP, common credit score, or another profit? Get in contact through electronic mail: [email protected]

Pension fee dates in November

The essential state pension is paid straight into financial institution accounts, equally to how advantages are paid. It’s normally paid each 4 weeks, with the precise day you obtain it similar to the final two digits of your nationwide insurance coverage (NI) quantity.

Right here’s when you ought to be paid primarily based on these numbers:

When will profit charges go up?

In April 2026, all common credit score claimants will obtain an above-inflation earnings increase of round 6.2 per cent to the usual allowance. For a single individual over 25, this will likely be a £6 per week improve, rising from £92 to £98.

For {couples} with one or each accomplice over 25, it will likely be a rise of £9 per week, rising from £145 to £154.

Most different advantages must be uprated by September’s inflation price alone, rising by 3.8 per cent. This consists of PIP, DLA, attendance allowance, carer’s allowance, ESA and extra.

Nonetheless, on the similar time, the month-to-month fee price for the health-related aspect of common credit score for brand spanking new claimants will likely be minimize from £105 to £50. The speed for present claimants will even be frozen till 2029.

It is a discount of over £200 a month, chopping the extra price by round half. This implies it’s advisable for anybody who thinks they could be eligible to use as quickly as they’ll.

The state pension is predicted to rise by 4.8 per cent from subsequent April consistent with annual earnings progress. This may deliver the weekly quantity to £241.05.

Different assist out there

Budgeting advance loans

The federal government affords a “budgeting advance mortgage” for individuals on common credit score who face an emergency lack of cash. The mortgage has a most compensation interval of two years.

These loans are interest-free and are robotically deducted from common credit score funds. You possibly can borrow an “advance” of as much as:

Following Labour’s 2024 Finances, a brand new cap was launched on the quantity the DWP can deduct from profit funds to repay loans and money owed, together with budgeting advance loans.

Starting in April 2025, deductions from common credit score have been capped at 15 per cent of the usual allowance, down from 25 per cent.

Discretionary Housing Cost

Households can apply to their council for a discretionary housing fee (DHP), which affords monetary assist to go in direction of lease or housing prices.

You possibly can solely get a DHP if you’re in receipt of housing profit or the housing aspect of common credit score. It might probably cowl housing prices for a lease shortfall, lease deposits and lease upfront if that you must transfer residence.

Actual eligibility and the funds out there are selected a council-by-council foundation, so you will want to get in contact together with your native authority to search out out extra.

Family Help Fund

The family assist fund (HSF), distributed by native councils, affords important help to these going through monetary hardship, complementing customary advantages and grants.

As a part of this authorities initiative, eligible households all through the UK can entry assist corresponding to important home equipment, contributions in direction of utility payments, and direct money funds reaching as much as £300.

Native authorities are free to determine the way to allocate their HSF funding to swimsuit households of their space, so precisely what is obtainable will fluctuate. To use, households must contact their council (most provide an internet type).

This nationwide programme is about to run till March 2026. The federal government has dedicated £1bn in funding to transition it right into a “Disaster and Resilience Fund” which is able to change the DHP.

Charitable grants

In case you are struggling financially, it’s possible you’ll be eligible for sure charitable grants. There may be a variety of grants out there relying in your circumstances.

Nonetheless, these grants will sometimes require you to satisfy particular standards and are solely in a position to provide restricted funds.

Charitable grants can be found for people who find themselves disabled or in poor health, carers, bereaved, unemployed, college students, and for a lot of different causes. The charity Turn2us has an internet software to seek for grants which can be out there to some.

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Power supplier assist

Quite a lot of power suppliers provide assist for these combating their power payments. These embrace British Gasoline, Scottish Energy, EDF, E.ON and Octopus. It’s price contacting your power supplier to search out out if you’re eligible.

Some additionally provide free gadgets like electrical blankets for households with weak residents to maintain heat.

Social tariffs for broadband and water

For these combating family prices, social tariffs can be found for each broadband and water payments. This may imply a diminished price for sure eligible households.

For water, each firm working within the UK has a social tariff by regulation. Nonetheless, the quantity on provide can fluctuate between areas and, as a result of water suppliers can’t be chosen like power suppliers, the assist has been criticised as a “postcode lottery”.

As an example, some provide as a lot as 90 per cent off payments, whereas others cap assist at a 20 per cent discount.

To seek out out what assist your water firm affords, it’s price checking on its web site or contacting the helpline. In all circumstances, households will should be deemed to be on a low earnings and/or in receipt of sure advantages.

Equally, many broadband suppliers provide social tariffs to these on sure advantages like common credit score or pension credit score. Regulator Ofcom has a information to what’s on provide.

Council tax discount

Should you meet sure standards or are on sure advantages, you might be able to apply for a reduction in your council tax of as much as 100 per cent (that is generally known as council tax assist).

Your native council should be capable of give you a discretionary discount in case you can display you’re going through extreme hardship and might’t afford to pay your council tax.

To use for a council tax discount, contact your native council through the federal government’s web site.

As much as 30 hours of free childcare

From 1 September 2025, all working dad and mom within the UK turned entitled to 30 hours of free childcare for kids as much as the age of 4. This concludes a gradual set of expansions that started in April 2024.

Dad and mom should apply on-line and reconfirm their eligibility each three months, in time for every faculty time period. Working dad and mom may apply for tax-free childcare, giving again 20p for each 80p you place in direction of childcare, as much as a most of £500 a yr.

Power value cap: Is it going up?

Ofgem’s power value cap rose by two per cent in October, from £1,720 to £1,755. The £35 rise comes after a extra sizeable seven per cent lower for July to September, from £1,849 to £1,720.

The power value cap is the utmost quantity power suppliers can cost you for every unit of power in case you’re on a regular variable tariff. That features most households. It’s expressed as an annual invoice for a mean residence.

Many specialists – together with Ofgem itself – are recommending households take into account a set tariff power deal, with many available on the market providing decrease than the value cap price.

Will there be one other value of dwelling fee in 2025?

The DWP haven’t introduced any continuation of the Value of Dwelling Cost scheme that ran between 2022 and 2024. The ultimate fee ought to have been made to eligible households between 6 February and 22 February 2024.

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