Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities has made the Social Security Benefits Up‑rating Order (Northern Ireland) 2026 (S.R. 2026 No. 59), laid before the Assembly under section 166(1) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992. Made on 24 March 2026, it updates statutory payment rates and benefit amounts across pensions, working‑age benefits and disability benefits, corresponding to the Great Britain Order (S.I. 2026/148). The instrument is subject to Assembly approval within six months of commencement.
Implementation is staged. Most changes apply from Monday 6 April 2026. Articles 1, 2 and 7 commence on 1 April; statutory maternity pay is uprated from Sunday 5 April (with the maternity allowance rate determination aligned to 6 April); incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance move on Thursday 9 April. For universal credit, changes take effect from the first assessment period beginning on or after 6 April. In income support, jobseeker’s allowance, employment and support allowance and state pension credit, new amounts apply from the first benefit week beginning on or after 6 April. Housing benefit uprating applies on 6 April where rent is charged weekly or at weekly multiples, and otherwise on 1 April. Carer’s allowance uprates from 6 April, or 8 April where the Department pays it on a Wednesday, as provided in Article 7.
Employment‑related statutory payments are increased. Statutory sick pay rises to £123.25 a week from 6 April. Statutory maternity pay, statutory paternity pay, statutory adoption pay, statutory shared parental pay and statutory parental bereavement pay each increase to £194.32 a week, with SMP applying from 5 April and the others from 6 April. These changes are effected through amendments in Articles 8 to 10 of the Order.
The full rate of the new State Pension increases from £230.25 to £241.30 per week from 6 April under Article 6 and the amended State Pension Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015. Increments to State Pension under section 17 of the Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2015, inherited increments and shared state pension amounts rise by 3.8 per cent. Additional pensions in long‑term benefits for years before 2025–26, and deferral‑related sums under Schedule 5 to the Contributions and Benefits Act, are uprated by 3.8 per cent in line with Article 4.
Legacy pension provisions are adjusted. Guaranteed minimum pension increases included in Category A or B pensions rise by 3.8 per cent for accruals up to 1987–88 and by 0.8 per cent for 1988–89 to 1996–97. The Category C retirement pension moves to £110.75 per week. The prescribed maximum additional pension for survivors entitled on or after 6 April 2016 increases to £230.54. Graduated retirement benefit is uprated by 3.8 per cent, setting the weekly unit value at 18.51 pence.
Disability benefits are uprated. Disability Living Allowance care component moves to £114.60 (higher), £76.70 (middle) and £30.30 (lower); the mobility component becomes £80.00 (higher) and £30.30 (lower). Personal Independence Payment rises to £114.60 (enhanced daily living), £76.70 (standard daily living), £80.00 (enhanced mobility) and £30.30 (standard mobility). Attendance allowance is uprated from 6 April in line with Article 7.
For incapacity‑related benefits, long‑term incapacity benefit additions for claimants under the prescribed age on the qualifying date increase to £30.00 and £15.00 per week, with corresponding Great Britain‑linked transitional amounts of £15.50 and £8.60 where applicable. Transitional long‑term incapacity benefit rates move to £30.00, £19.20 and £9.60, or to £15.50, £8.60 and £8.60 in GB‑linked cases. These provisions take effect on 9 April under Articles 16 and 17.
Bereavement benefits are updated. Widowed mother’s allowance, widow’s pension and widowed parent’s allowance each rise to £156.65 a week. Bereavement Support Payment is unchanged: the standard one‑off payment of £3,500 and the monthly payment of £350 remain, as do child‑related amounts of £2,500 (lump sum) and £100 (monthly).
Income support parameters are adjusted. The £3,000 capital limit remains unchanged. Personal allowance figures are uprated and the family premium becomes £20.22 per week. Housing‑cost non‑dependant deductions increase: the lowest deduction rises to £20.40 and the highest to £119.85 per week, with updated weekly income bands of £192, £279, £365, £485 and £605 setting the step‑rates. In housing benefit for working‑age claimants, the same non‑dependant deduction rates and income bands apply; specified ineligible service charge maxima in Schedule 1 are increased, while the standard £17.10 earnings and income disregards remain in place.
For housing benefit where a claimant has reached the qualifying age for state pension credit, the Order uprates personal allowances and premiums, aligns non‑dependant deduction rates and income bands with working‑age cases, and increases relevant ineligible service charge maxima. Weekly disregards of £17.10 for earnings and income other than earnings are unchanged.
State Pension Credit is uprated through amendments to regulations 6 and 7 and Schedules. The standard minimum guarantee is set at £363.25 and £238.00 per week respectively, with savings credit thresholds moving to £208.07 and £329.75. Additional amounts in Schedule 2A for responsibility for a child or qualifying young person increase to £69.98 and £37.93, with the combined figure at £118.46; the eldest‑child amount for those born before 6 April 2017 becomes £81.07. Non‑dependant deduction rates for housing costs are aligned with the wider increases.
Jobseeker’s allowance rates rise. Contribution‑based JSA becomes £75.65 per week for those under 25 and £95.55 for those aged 25 and over, mirrored in the 2016 JSA scheme. The prescribed deduction applied in trade dispute cases increases to £53.00 under both income support and JSA provisions. For employment and support allowance, contributory component amounts increase to £37.95 for the work‑related activity component and £50.35 for the support component, with prescribed personal amounts in the 2016 ESA Regulations moving in line with JSA. ESA housing‑cost non‑dependant deductions adopt the updated weekly figures and income bands.
Universal credit parameters are adjusted. Monthly work allowances increase from £684 to £710 (higher allowance) and from £411 to £427 (lower allowance). The non‑dependant housing cost contribution rises to £96.55 per month. Element rates in regulation 38 are set out in Schedule 13 and are uprated accordingly. Transitional amounts for claimants previously entitled to the Severe Disability Premium increase to £148.82, £353.44 and £502.27 depending on household circumstances, alongside revised amounts in Schedule 3. For existing awards, these apply from the first assessment period beginning on or after 6 April 2026.
The Order revokes the 2025 Northern Ireland up‑rating instrument and maintains parity with Great Britain via S.I. 2026/148. Unless specified otherwise, protected additional pension components and increments are lifted by 3.8 per cent, with specific pound‑and‑pence rates set throughout.
Operationally, employers and payroll providers should implement the new SSP and family‑related statutory payment rates for pay periods beginning on or after 6 April 2026, noting the 5 April start for statutory maternity pay. Councils and social landlords should update housing benefit systems to the revised non‑dependant deductions and service charge maxima, observing the different start dates for weekly‑rent and other charging patterns. Claimants do not need to take action; the Department for Communities will apply uprating automatically in line with each benefit week or assessment period.