April benefit changes and £54m oil support: turning policy into action

April marked the start of this year’s benefit uprating, bringing a series of important policy changes affecting households across the UK. At Policy in Practice, we tracked these developments closely and updated our tools in real time, so no action was needed for the changes to be reflected.

This year told two contrasting stories. While some benefits increased above inflation, other key areas of support remained frozen.

What changed this month?

Above-inflation increases: The Universal Credit standard allowance increased by 6.2%, while the State Pension and Pension Credit rose by 4.8%.
End of the two-child limit: From 6 April, this significant policy change began to increase incomes for many larger families and is expected to reduce child poverty.
Limited Capability for Work and Related Activity (LCWRA) changes: For new claimants, LCWRA rates were reduced to £217.26, creating a tiered system depending on when a claim is made.
Frozen support: Local Housing Allowance (LHA) remained frozen, continuing to add pressure for renters. The benefit cap also remained unchanged.
Legacy benefits ended: The managed migration to Universal Credit concluded this month.

We’ve published a simple 'at a glance' guide covering all of the April 2026 benefit uprating changes in one place. Learn more here.

Following the government’s announcement of £54m in support for low income households reliant on oil heating, we moved quickly to help councils turn funding into action.

Within four days, our team identified low income households dependent on oil heating across our client base, ensuring support can be targeted quickly, accurately and with minimal administrative burden.

Unlike gas and electricity, heating oil operates through a fragmented supplier network. This makes it difficult for councils to identify off-grid households and deliver support effectively without significant manual effort.

Using existing administrative data, LIFT enables clients to:

Pinpoint households likely to be using oil heating
Target those under financial pressure
Deliver support at pace, without the need for new infrastructure

We’ve also developed an approach that works alongside suppliers, providing a clear route to delivery, tracking, and reporting which is scalable for future energy support schemes.

Accessing the data

For existing clients, this insight will be available as part of your upcoming LIFT refresh. If you’re not yet working with us, we’ve also identified likely oil-heated households by output area.

Request this data here.

Research has shown that living in poverty is one of the factors that puts children at greater risk of abuse and neglect. Despite this, measures to reduce child and family poverty are not systematically embedded within Children’s social care policy or practice. Efforts to do so have been hindered by a lack of large-scale evidence on how financial precarity affects referrals to children’s social care and the type of services that are provided.

This study addressed that gap by examining the relationship between household income, financial precarity and children’s social care involvement and by assessing whether changes in income have an impact on patterns of provision.

Read the report here and join our online event launch today, 30 April at 3pm.

In just nine months, Forest of Dean District Council has helped residents access £219,400 in additional annual support by taking a proactive, data-led approach.

Using the LIFT platform, the council has turned insight into action, identifying households in need and connecting them to the support they are entitled to. From helping pensioners secure an average of £3,859 in Pension Credit to supporting families to move beyond the benefit cap, this is a clear example of targeted intervention delivering real impact.

Key outcomes

Over £153,000 in annual Universal Credit identified and unlocked
More than 1,400 residents signposted for support with fuel and water costs
161 households now receiving essential Council Tax Support

Cllr Jackie Dale, Cabinet Member for Thriving Communities, said:

"The results we have achieved show the real difference that targeted, proactive support can make. Using LIFT has enabled us to reach residents who may not otherwise have come forward for help, and put hundreds of thousands of pounds back into the pockets of those who need it most. This is financial support that people are entitled to but have not been claiming."

With over £24 billion in support going unclaimed across the UK, this work highlights the role of local authorities in closing the gap, ensuring residents receive the support available to them while strengthening financial resilience across communities.

Key outcomes

Over £9 million projected lifetime support identified by 3 county-wide campaigns (excludes results from local campaigns)
£1.2 milion a year unlocked for residents and schools
Runnymede won iESE Public Sector Excellence award 2026 for Best use of Digital, Technology and Data insight
Reigate & Banstead won the LARIA award 2026 for Best use of Data or Research in a District Council

Rhiannon Ford, Principal Policy and Strategy Lead at Surrey County Council, said:

"Working with Policy in Practice has given Surrey a much clearer and more consistent view of local need across the county. LIFT and Campaign Manager have enabled us to run targeted campaigns at scale, while also providing the insight that can help support our transition through Local Government Reorganisation. The ability to combine neighbourhood level data with county wide oversight has been particularly valuable as we plan for new unitary arrangements and develop our approach to supporting vulnerable residents through the Crisis and Resilience Fund."

Head of Policy, Rebecca McDonald presented new analysis by Policy in Practice showing how Council Tax Support for working-age residents has become significantly less generous in recent years.

The MJ article explores how many English councils have adapted their schemes in response to budget pressures, raising challenging decisions about how to reduce scheme costs while still prioritising the needs of vulnerable residents. This year promises to be especially disruptive for CTR. We highlight the best practice councils can draw on as they look to design their 2027 schemes.

Read the article here

Better Off Calculator: Southern Water’s transfer page

We are delighted to be working with Southern Water to expand access to vital social tariffs. By introducing targeted alerts within the Better Off Calculator, we will be able to identify when users may be eligible for Southern Water’s social tariffs and signpost them directly at the point of need.

This works not only for users accessing a Southern Water-branded version of the calculator, but also for those completing a check elsewhere, including via GOV.UK or other partner platforms.

MAST securely links data across partners, including police, NHS and social care, giving practitioners a daily-refreshed view of safeguarding activity while maintaining strong governance and local data control.

Our pilot in West Glamorgan shows both efficiency and impact:

£2m estimated annual savings
£130k avoided placement costs per council
4+ hours saved per referral
1m+ cross-agency interactions visible

Beyond the numbers, MAST is enabling earlier intervention, better collaboration, and stronger inter-agency trust.

Learn more about MAST

Many of you will have seen meningitis in the news recently, or may have been affected by it yourselves.

Earlier this year, our Managing Director, Jade Alsop, faced every parent’s worst nightmare when her son, Archie, was hospitalised with meningitis for nearly a month. I’m incredibly relieved to say that Archie has made a full recovery, thanks to his family’s strength and the world class care provided by the NHS and the team at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

To give something back, we’re launching a series of fundraising activities for Great Ormond Street Hospital, culminating in a sponsored walk from Twickenham Stadium to Great Ormond Street this summer.