Couples with children must work 24 hours a week between them, with one partner working at least 16 hours a week in order to qualify for the WTC. See our spending review page.
Contributory ESA time limited to one year for those in the work related activity group. See DWP website.
The Government contribution to discretionary housing payments will be increased by £40 million in each year from 2012-13. See our emergency budget page.
The family element of the child tax credit will be withdrawn immediately after the child element. See our emergency budget page.
The period for which a tax credit claim and certain changes of circumstances can be backdated will be reduced from three months to one month. See our emergency budget page.
The 50 plus element will be removed from the working tax credit. See our emergency budget page.
A disregard of £2,500 will be introduced in the tax credits system before in-year falls in income affect tax credit entitlement. See our emergency budget page.
From 6th April 2012 the Simplified PAYE Deduction Scheme (SPDS) will be closed to new employers. Find out more.
From 2013
Child benefit withdrawn from households paying tax at the higher rate. Find out more.
From April 2013
Total weekly benefits (jobseekers allowance, income support, employment support allowance, housing benefit, child benefit, carers allowance and later the new universal credit) will be limited to £500 a week for lone-parents/couples or £350 per week for single claimants. This benefits cap does not apply to households where someone is claiming working tax credits or getting disability living allowance. See our benefits cap page.
Launch of universal credit pathfinder to demonstrate how the new scheme will work. See Factsheet F55 - universal credit
Working age disability living allowance (DLA) to be replaced by a new Personal Independence Payment (PIP). Initially there will be a pilot of a few thousand new PIP claims to test the system. For more information see our dla reform page and Factsheet F60 - personal independence payments.
The level of in-year rises of income that will be disregarded from calculations of tax credit entitlement will decrease from £10,000 to £5,000. See our emergency budget page.
Local housing allowance rates will be uprated in line with consumer price index (CPI). See our emergency budget page.
Housing entitlements for working age people in the social sector will reflect family size. See our emergency budget page.
Housing benefit awards will be reduced to 90% of the initial award after 12 months for claimants receiving jobseekers allowance. See our emergency budget page.
From 5th April 2013 the Simplified PAYE Deduction Scheme (SPDS) will close. Find out more.
National roll out of universal credit. Between October 2013 and April 2014 those making a new claim will receive universal credit in place of jobseekers allowance, employment support allowance, housing benefit, working tax credit or child tax credit. Existing claimants will also be moved onto UC if they are already receiving one of these benefits and their circumstances change significantly. See DWP press release (1 November 2011) and UC policy briefing note.
Migration of existing incapacity benefits claimants (incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance and income support on disability grounds) onto employment and support
allowance should be completed by the end of March. Find out more.
From April 2014
Existing claimants may be given a priority move onto universal credit if it is considered that they will benefit from this. See DWP press release (1 November 2011) and UC policy briefing note.
From December 2014
The proposed date for the abolition of those remaining cases of pre-tax credit income support/income-based jobseeker's allowance child additions is 31 December 2014. Previously the date of transfer was to have been 31 December 2011 (and before then 2008). For more information see SI 2011/2910.
Post Office card account (POCA) to be reviewed. Find out more.
From end of 2015
Between the end of 2015 and the end of 2017 those who have not been moved onto universal credit already will be moved during this time. See DWP press release (1 November 2011) and UC policy briefing note.
State pension age for both men and women increases to 66. For more information see the DirectGov website and the Pensions Act 2011. You can use the DirectGov website to calculate someone's retirement date.
From April 2026
The Government will start to raise the State Pension age to 67 in stages from this date. See the autumn statement 2011. You can use the DirectGov website to calculate someone's retirement date.
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