The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed benefit payment dates for June 2026, urging households to verify what cost of living support remains available. This comes as families brace for another steep increase in bills after energy regulator Ofgem announced the energy price cap will rise by £221 annually to £1,862 from July, a nearly 13% jump. The hike follows instability in global oil and gas markets and will place additional pressure on households already grappling with food, housing, and borrowing expenses.
Which benefits are being paid in June?
The DWP states payments will proceed as normal throughout June as there are no bank holidays impacting the payment schedule. Benefits due as usual include:
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer's Allowance
- Universal Credit
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Child Benefit
The State Pension remains paid every four weeks, with the payment day determined by the last two digits of a claimant's National Insurance number:
- 00 to 19 - Monday
- 20 to 39 - Tuesday
- 40 to 59 - Wednesday
- 60 to 79 - Thursday
- 80 to 99 - Friday
State pension and benefit increases already in effect
Benefit rates rose in April, with Universal Credit standard allowances increasing by 6.2%. For a single claimant aged over 25, the standard allowance went up from £92 a week to £98 a week. Couples aged over 25 witnessed payments climb from £145 to £154 a week. Meanwhile, most disability and working-age benefits rose by 3.8%. The full new State Pension increased by 4.8% in April under the triple lock, taking payments to £241.05 a week. However, changes to the health-related element of Universal Credit mean new claimants now receive £50 a week instead of £105, with existing claimant rates frozen until 2029.
Energy firms and broadband companies offering support
A number of major energy providers continue to offer hardship schemes and grants to customers who are struggling financially, including British Gas, EDF, Octopus Energy, and Scottish Power. Households on lower incomes may also be eligible for discounted broadband and water social tariffs, while some families can receive up to 100% council tax support depending on their individual circumstances.
Extra help households can apply for
Councils throughout England are now distributing assistance via the Government's new Crisis and Resilience Fund, which replaced the Household Support Fund and discretionary housing payments in April. The scheme includes:
- Crisis payments for households facing financial emergencies
- Housing payments to help with rent deposits, rent shortfalls, or moving costs
The DWP has instructed councils to adopt a "cash-first" approach wherever possible. Universal Credit claimants may also be eligible for budgeting advance loans worth up to:
- £348 for single people
- £464 for couples
- £812 for households with children
The loans are interest-free and repaid through deductions from future benefit payments.
£24bn in benefits left unclaimed
Despite the mounting strain on household finances, billions of pounds in available support remains unclaimed each year. According to figures referenced by the DWP from Policy in Practice, approximately £24bn in benefits and assistance goes uncollected by eligible households annually. The DWP reveals that around 24 million people currently receive some form of benefit or State Pension support, roughly one in three people across Britain. There are currently no new DWP cost of living payments scheduled for 2026, following the conclusion of the previous scheme in February 2024.
