- Child Benefit from 6 April 2027: £28.00 a week for the eldest or only child and £18.55 for each other child.1
- No VAT on household electricity until 30 June 2027 (announced; the legislation is due in early 2027).3
- The 2027-28 rates for Universal Credit, PIP, ESA, Carer's Allowance, the State Pension and Pension Credit are not published yet (not yet confirmed).
- Last checked: 28 October 2026.
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Child Benefit and Guardian's Allowance
From 6 April 2027 Child Benefit is £28.00 a week for the eldest or only child and £18.55 for each other child.1
Guardian's Allowance goes up from £22.95 to £23.75 a week (from 6 April 2027).1
The High Income Child Benefit Charge threshold for 2027-28 has not been restated yet (not yet confirmed).
| Children | 2026-27 a week | 2027-28 a week | 2026-27 a year | 2027-28 a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 child | £27.05 | £28.00 | £1,406.60 | £1,456.00 |
| 2 children | £44.95 | £46.55 | £2,337.40 | £2,420.60 |
| 3 children | £62.85 | £65.10 | £3,268.20 | £3,385.20 |
Energy bills
VAT: the Budget says “the government will extend the temporary VAT zero rate for domestic electricity supplies until 30 June 2027.” (announced; the legislation is due in early 2027). Gas stays at 5% VAT.3
The Budget says: “This extension is expected to take around £50 off the annual Ofgem price cap in April 2027.” (government estimate). That is the effect on the cap's annual figure for a typical household, not money paid to you.2
Ofgem's published timetable: the cap for 1 April to 30 June 2027 will be announced by 23 February 2027.4
Universal Credit
The Budget will “Extend the £2,500 surplus earnings threshold for one year from 1 April 2027” (from 1 April 2027, needs regulations). This mainly affects self-employed people and anyone whose earnings jump in one month.2
The new Universal Credit amounts for 2027-28 are not published yet (not yet confirmed). Every figure in our calculators stays at the 2026-27 rates until they are.
Tax: what is not changing
The Income Tax personal allowance stays £12,570 in 2027-28 (unchanged).1
The Budget says there is “no increase to the headline rates of income tax, National Insurance contributions, or VAT” (unchanged).2
Not published yet
The Department for Work and Pensions normally publishes the new benefit and pension rates for April. They were not available on 28 October 2026, so this page shows none. We will add them when they are published.