Our resident financial expert, Ana has some great advice in her latest column:

With the cost of living still high, many people are are continuing to feel the pinch. 

If you’re struggling financially, remember we are here for you. We can support you in lots of ways, including:

• Arranging payment plans and repayments
• Benefit checks and entitlement
• Help with benefit applications, reviews, and appeals
• Navigating changes in circumstances
• Budgeting advice
• Signposting for debt support and more.

If you’re finding things difficult, please get in touch with our financial inclusion team on 01639 506623 or financialinclusion@taitarian.co.uk 

The move to Universal Credit
The DWP is nearing the end of phasing out ‘legacy benefits’ and have been sending migration notice letters to claimants who need to migrate to Universal Credit. If you are in receipt of income related employment support allowance (ESA), you should have had a letter regarding migration to Universal Credit with information on how to claim UC and the deadline to do this by. If you need any help with this, please contact our income team and we will support you. DO NOT ignore this letter. 

Doing it straight away will mean your UC matches your previous benefit income to make sure you’re not worse off financially because of the move.

Benefit changes from April 2026
If you have a long-term health condition or a disability, you might get an additional payment included in your Universal Credit called the ‘limited capability for work-related activity’ (LCWRA) element. 

This is currently £423.27 extra each month, but the amount will be smaller for most people who start getting it on, or after, 6 April 2026. From that date it will be £217.26 a month. 

Report your health condition as soon as possible
If you’re eligible for the LCWRA element with Universal Credit, there’s usually a 3-month wait before you start getting it. You should apply as soon as possible because if you start getting it before 6 April 2026, you’ll keep getting the current higher LCWRA rate. 

If you are suffering with ill health and believe you may be eligible for LCWRA then please reach out to us as soon as possible, so we can help you make a claim. Similarly, if you have any questions regarding this change, please contact us and we will do our best to support you. 

If you already get the LCWRA element, you don’t need to do anything. The amount you get will not go down because of the April changes. 

Removal of the two-child limit 
In a move that’s hoped will lift around 450,000 children out of poverty by 2030, a removal of the Universal Credit two-child limit was announced in the Autumn Budget. This means, as of April, families will no longer be subject to a two-child rule applied to the child element of their UC entitlement. From April 2026 families 
will be able to claim the child element for all children, regardless of the family size. There is not much detail available about these changes yet, however, we will keep you posted as we hear more.