On 6 April 2026, SEND benefit rates rose by 3.8%, in line with September 2025 CPI inflation. DLA, Carer’s Allowance, the Universal Credit disabled child additions, and Child Benefit all went up, and for most families the increase is applied automatically.
For most people that small percentage increase barely registers. But for SEND families juggling DLA, Carer’s Allowance, Universal Credit, and Child Benefit, even small changes add up quickly.
DLA rates
Disability Living Allowance (DLA) went up across all components. If your child receives DLA, their payments should have increased automatically from the first payment after 6 April.
| 2025-26 (previous) | 2026-27 (current) +3.8% | |
|---|---|---|
| Higher rate care | £110.40/wk | £114.60/wk |
| Middle rate care | £73.90/wk | £76.70/wk |
| Lower rate care | £29.20/wk | £30.30/wk |
| Higher rate mobility | £77.05/wk | £80.00/wk |
| Lower rate mobility | £29.20/wk | £30.30/wk |
The amounts might look small week by week. But over a year, the difference between the old and new higher rate care (£114.60, up from £110.40) is over £200. For families receiving both higher rate care and higher rate mobility (£80.00, up from £77.05), the combined annual increase is roughly £375.
Check your bank statement after the first DLA payment in April. The amount should be higher than before. If it hasn’t changed, contact the DLA helpline on 0800 121 4600 to confirm your child’s award has been uprated.
Carer’s Allowance
If you claim Carer’s Allowance, the weekly rate went up and the earnings limit also increased.
The earnings limit increase is worth paying attention to. If you were previously just over the limit and couldn’t claim, the higher threshold might bring you back into eligibility. The new limit of £204 per week (up from £196) is after deductions for tax, NI, half of any pension contributions, and eligible childcare costs.
The Carer’s Allowance earnings limit is a cliff edge, not a taper. If you earn £204 per week, you get the full benefit. If you earn £204.01, you get nothing for that week. Check your net earnings carefully.
Universal Credit disabled child additions
If you’re on Universal Credit (UC) with a disabled child, the monthly additions went up too.
| 2025-26 (previous) | 2026-27 (current) +3.8% | |
|---|---|---|
| UC disabled child lower rate | £158.76/mth | £164.79/mth |
| UC disabled child higher rate | £495.87/mth | £514.71/mth |
| UC carer element | £201.68/mth | £209.34/mth |
The difference between the lower and higher rate is significant. Over a year, the higher rate addition (£514.71/month) is worth nearly £6,200. The rate your child triggers depends on their DLA. Higher rate care triggers the higher UC addition. Any other DLA rate triggers the lower one.
Child Benefit
Child Benefit increased too, though the amounts are smaller. The eldest or only child now receives £27.05 per week (up from £26.05), and each additional child receives £17.90 per week (up from £17.25).
The High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) threshold didn’t change in April 2026. The charge still starts when the higher earner in the household earns above £60,000, and reaches full clawback at £80,000 - unchanged since April 2024. If you previously opted out of Child Benefit because of HICBC, that calculation hasn’t changed for 2026-27.
Christmas bonus
The annual Christmas bonus for people receiving qualifying benefits (including Carer’s Allowance and DLA) remains at £10. It hasn’t changed since 1972. But it still exists, and it’s paid automatically in December.
What you need to do
For most families, nothing. The increases are applied automatically to existing awards. You don’t need to contact anyone or fill in forms.
But there are a few situations where action is needed:
- Check your payments - Verify that the new rates appear in your first post-April payment
- Reconsider Carer’s Allowance - If you were previously just over the earnings limit, the higher threshold (£204/wk) might make you eligible
- Report DLA to UC - If your child was recently awarded DLA and you haven’t reported it to Universal Credit, do so now to trigger the disabled child addition
- Revisit Child Benefit - If you opted out due to HICBC, note the threshold hasn’t changed (still £60,000); Child Benefit rates have increased, so re-check whether claiming is worth it for you
If your earnings fluctuate, be especially careful about the Carer’s Allowance earnings limit.
If you receive Carer’s Allowance and your earnings fluctuate (overtime, bonuses, shift patterns), recalculate your net weekly earnings against the new £204 limit. One week over the limit means losing the entire week’s benefit.
The bigger picture
A 3.8% increase broadly keeps pace with inflation. It doesn’t close the gap for families who were already struggling. And some of the most important figures, like the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) maximum grant of £30,000, haven’t been increased at all.
But the increases are real money. For a family receiving DLA higher rate care and the UC higher disabled child addition, the combined annual increase is over £440. One interaction to know about: if that family also claims Carer’s Allowance, its rise doesn’t add anything extra on top if they’re on Universal Credit too. Carer’s Allowance is deducted from Universal Credit pound for pound, so the Carer’s Allowance rise nets out there, and the real gain stays with the DLA and UC increases above.
Getting help
Turn2us has a benefits calculator that uses the current rates to show exactly what your family should be receiving.
Citizens Advice can help check whether you’re receiving everything you’re entitled to at the new rates.
Carers UK offers a free helpline (0808 808 7777) for advice on Carer’s Allowance and the earnings limit.