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Briefing
Social security

Fifty years of benefit uprating

The history of benefit uprating since 1972, and the impact of using the September 2021 inflation rate in the uprating decision for April 2022.

Written by:
JRF Staff Portraits
Date published:

Key points

  • 2022 had the greatest fall in the value of the basic rate of unemployment benefits since the start of annual uprating in 1972, fifty years ago.
  • In eight of the ten April upratings between 2013 and 2022, the basic rate of unemployment benefits has lost value.

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