From 13 May 2024, the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) will be increased again, to the equivalent of 18 hours at the National Minimum Wage for an individual and 29 hours for a couple. This works out as £892 per month for individual claimants and £1,437 per month for couples. Claimants earning less than both the National Minimum Wage for their expected hours of work and the AET may be subject to all work-related requirements. It is expected that this change will move around 180,000 Universal Credit claimants into the intensive work search group, from the light touch group and bring the total moved into the intensive work search group by the recent increases to the AET to 400,000.

Note: the AET was previously increased to:

• 12 hours at the National Minimum Wage for a single person and 18 hours for a couple in September 2022
• 15 hours at the National Minimum Wage for a single person and 24 hours for a couple in January 2023.