DWP announces extra £109 a month for certain people on Universal Credit

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that parents on Universal Credit may be eligible for a boost of up to £109 a month.

Working parents who claim Universal Credit can get their benefit payments boosted if they pay childcare fees. Currently, the DWP will pay parents of one child up to £950 a month on top of their usual payment, or up to £1,630 for parents of two or more children.

But from Monday, the DWP said parents will be eligible for more cash. It comes as benefits are set to be increased by 6.7 per cent, in line with inflation, meaning millions of benefit claimants will see more money in their bank accounts.

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The DWP said that from April 8, parents on Universal Credit with one child under 17 will be able to claim up to £1,015 extra a month, with parents of two children or more eligible for up to £1,739 to help pay for childcare costs - an increase of £65 and £109 respectively.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said: "This big boost to childcare support will help even more parents step into the world of work and secure long-term financial security. We are delivering on our plan to get people into jobs, as we cut taxes, drive down inflation, and put money back into the pockets of hardworking families."

The changes are part of the government's wider plans to get more parents working, which includes a major expansion of the free childcare scheme. As of this month, working parents of two-year-olds can get 15 hours of free childcare a week for the first time, while the offer is set to be extended to more parents later in the year.

The government said that over 150,000 two-year-olds are confirmed to