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<\/p>\nMILLIONS of Brits will be impacted by major changes to Universal Credit and benefits, announced in the Autumn Statement today.<\/p>\n
From harsher rules for the unemployed to a payment boost from April, we round up all you need to know from the announcements.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Autumn Statement\u00a0provides an update on the government\u2019s plans for the economy, including spending. <\/p>\n
These are issued twice a year, once at the Budget\u00a0in the\u00a0spring\u00a0and once at the\u00a0Autumn\u00a0Statement.<\/p>\n
In his Autumn Statement Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced:<\/strong><\/p>\n Below we've outlined each of the changes that will affect benefits and Universal Credit claimants.<\/p>\n In today's Autumn Statement, Mr Hunt confirmed benefits and the\u00a0state pension\u00a0will increase in line with September\u00a0inflation.<\/p>\n The Department for Work and\u00a0Pensions\u00a0(DWP) usually uses\u00a0September's inflation figures\u00a0to make the decision on uprating benefit and pension payments from the following April.<\/p>\n However, there were concerns that the government was planning to use a\u00a0lower inflationary figure\u00a0to uprate welfare payments.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n The yearly\u00a0inflation rate for\u00a0September\u00a0came in at 6.7%, compared to\u00a04.6% for October.<\/p>\n The payment boost comes into effect in April 2024 and hikes the payments for the average family on Universal Credit by \u00a3470 a year.<\/p>\n Millions of Brits could be stripped of their benefits if they fail to find a job within 18 months.<\/p>\n It's part of plans to help people with long-term conditions, disabilities or long-term unemployment to look for and stay in work.<\/p>\n More than \u00a31.3billion in funding is being offered to 300,000 people who have been unemployed for more than a year.<\/p>\n Those who don't get a job within 18 months will be forced to take on work experience under plans to get more people into employment.<\/p>\n And households who don't comply will have their benefits, including access to free prescriptions and legal aid, cut off.<\/p>\n The government is to increase Local Housing Allowance for the first time since April 2020.<\/p>\n Local Housing Allowance (LHA) sets the maximum amount people renting from a private landlord can claim in\u00a0Housing\u00a0Benefit or Universal Credit.<\/p>\n Around 38% of England's 4.6million private renters receive housing benefit.<\/p>\n The amount you can claim depends on the area you live in and the size of the property you rent.<\/p>\n Local Housing Allowance will be increased to cover the cheapest 30% of local market rents.<\/p>\n This means anyone renting a home that is among the cheapest 30% of private rental properties in their area should be able to cover their entire rent with housing benefit.<\/p>\n The Chancellor has been under pressure to up the allowance by charities such as Crisis and Shelter, as well as private landlords and MPs.<\/p>\n The Help to Save scheme is designed to encourage those on certain benefits to save money.<\/p>\n You can sign up if you're on\u00a0Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit or\u00a0Child Tax Credit.<\/p>\n In today's budget documents, the government says it is looking at reforming the scheme by adding a bonus to savings.<\/p>\n It says the change will: "Ensure the scheme\u2019s sustainability as a key savings product, encourage take-up and provide the best value for taxpayers."<\/p>\n The details of the changes are yet to finalised and a consultation is set to be launched into the most effective way to deliver it.<\/p>\n Under the scheme, the government gives you 50p for every \u00a31 you save in your account over four years.<\/p>\n You can save between \u00a31 and \u00a350 each calendar month and pay the money in via standing order or bank transfer.<\/p>\n That means if you put the maximum \u00a350 in each month from April 2023 for two years you would get back \u00a3600 from the government in total.<\/p>\n Just under 400,000 people have opened a\u00a0Help to Save\u00a0account since\u00a0it launched in September 2018, according to the government's recent figures.<\/p>\n You can open a Help to Save account if you are:<\/p>\n You can apply for an account via Gov.UK.<\/p>\n Universal Credit claimants will continue to get the higher surplus earnings threshold of \u00a32,500 until April 2025.<\/p>\n Surplus earnings are taken into account in your next monthly assessment period for Universal Credit.<\/p>\n For example, if your monthly earnings are more than \u00a32,500 over where your payment stopped – the current threshold – this becomes "surplus earnings".<\/p>\n These surplus earnings are then carried forward to the following month, where they count towards your earnings.<\/p>\n If your regular income and surplus earnings are then still over the amount where your payment stops, your Universal Credit payment will be affected.<\/p>\n The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is continuing to work to reduce waiting times for new personal independence payments (PIP) claims.<\/p>\n In August, the DWP said it is trialling the use of online applications for new PIP claims.<\/p>\n This is set to be extended until November 2024 to ensure that new claimants aren't facing "excessive wait times".<\/p>\n Universal Support is a new employment programme for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions claiming\u00a0Universal Credit.<\/p>\n It is aimed at matching participants with\u00a0jobs, funding support and training with a view to them finding long-term work.<\/p>\n The voluntary scheme was expected to help 25,000 people move towards employment by September next year.<\/p>\n But the Government has revealed today that it plans to double the number of yearly places to 100,000.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Department for Work and Pensions\u00a0(DWP) said previously that those who are eligible will be contacted and referred by work coaches to take part in the scheme.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, we reveal four hidden announcements in the Autumn Statement document \u2013 and it\u2019s good news for savers and first-time buyers<\/p>\n\n
READ MORE IN MONEY<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/GM_21-11_JEREMY-HUNT_COMP.jpg\")
<\/picture>THREE CHEERS <\/span><\/p>\nHunt to freeze alcohol duty, hike minimum wage and cut NICs in mini-Budget<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/pxek8x-piece-stationery-featuring-universal-782024464.jpg\")
<\/picture>CASH IN <\/span><\/p>\nMillions on benefits including Universal Credit to get up to \u00a3470 payment bump<\/h3>\n
Benefits to rise in line with inflation<\/h2>\n
Most read in Money<\/h2>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/close-womans-hands-picking-cigarette-861349840-1.jpg\")
<\/picture>HOLY SMOKE <\/span><\/p>\nCost of cigarette pack to rise from TONIGHT in huge blow to smokers<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/GM_22-11_NATIONAL-INSURANCE_COMP.jpg\")
<\/picture>PAY RISE <\/span><\/p>\nUp to 27million workers to get hundreds back in their pocket in huge tax cut<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/DD-budget-hunt-v3_COMP-1.jpg\")
<\/picture>BANG FOR BUCK <\/span><\/p>\nPay day for Brits as Hunt’s mini-Budget boosts purses\u00a0but hikes tobacco price<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/jb-nlwhunt-comp.jpg\")
<\/picture>PAY DAY <\/span><\/p>\nPay rise for millions of lowest-paid Brits confirmed – check if you qualify<\/h3>\n
Tighter benefit rules<\/h2>\n
Help for renters<\/h2>\n
Changes to Help to Save<\/h2>\n
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Surplus earnings threshold extended <\/h2>\n
Reduce waiting times for Personal Independence Payment (PIP)<\/h2>\n
Extension to Universal Support<\/h2>\n