- Inflation dropped to a 10-month low of 3 per cent in January, with forecasts suggesting it could hit the Bank of England's 2 per cent target by April, while the energy price cap will decrease by around seven per cent from 1 April.
- An estimated £24bn in benefits goes unclaimed annually in the UK, with around one in three people currently receiving some form of DWP-administered support.
- Benefit and state pension payments due on Good Friday or Easter Monday in April will be issued on Thursday 2 April instead.
- Universal Credit claimants will see an above-inflation income boost of around 6.2 per cent from April 2026, with most other benefits rising by 3.8 per cent and the state pension by 4.8 per cent.
- Labour's new 'Crisis and Resilience Fund' will be administered by councils from April, replacing existing schemes to provide 'crisis payments' and 'housing payments' to low-income households.
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