This Statutory Instrument, The Pensions Increase (Review) Order 2026, sets out the annual percentage increases to be applied to official public service pensions in the UK starting from April 6th, 2026, based on a direction given by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding inflation adjustments; it specifies a 3.8 per cent increase for most pensions that began before April 7th, 2025, provides a formula for pensions starting later, and details adjustments for lump sums and reductions where a recipient is also entitled to a Guaranteed Minimum Pension.

These Regulations primarily amend provisions governing discretionary financial assistance and housing payments across England and Wales, coming into force on April 1, 2026.

The key actions involve revoking the Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations 2001 and the Discretionary Housing Payments (Grants) Order 2001 in relation to England, while continuing their effect in Wales.

For Wales only, the Regulations amend the 2001 Order by removing the previous reference to English and Welsh authorities in claims procedure and, crucially, omitting the article that previously limited the total expenditure local authorities could spend on discretionary housing payments.

These Regulations, enacted by the Secretary of State under powers from the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, amend the 2013 Regulations to institute new daily rates for the recovery of costs from designated authorities when a child is remanded to various forms of youth detention accommodation in England and Wales, with the changes taking legal effect on April 1, 2026.

This Order, made under the Scotland Act 1998, temporarily modifies Schedule 5, which defines reserved matters, to grant the Scottish Parliament limited legislative competence concerning the identification and regulation of substances and devices used in assisted dying for terminally ill adults.

The legislative power conferred is conditional: Scottish Ministers can identify substances/devices via subordinate legislation only with the Secretary of State’s agreement, while the Secretary of State retains power to regulate those items without Scottish Minister agreement.

These exceptions apply only to Scottish Acts resulting from Bills passed before 7 May 2026, and the Scottish Parliament cannot use this limited power to mandate the content of the regulation or impose duties on the Secretary of State.

This statutory instrument, made by the Treasury, sets the specific percentage increases to be used for revaluing accrued pension rights within certain public service pension schemes for the period between 1st April 2025 and 31st March 2026, establishing an increase in prices of 3.8 per cent and an increase in earnings of 4.8 per cent, and specifies the dates the Order comes into force across different UK jurisdictions and schemes.

This Statutory Instrument, made by His Majesty in Council on March 10, 2026, officially appoints the individuals listed in the Schedule as His Majesty's Inspectors of Education, Children's Services and Skills, taking legal effect on March 11, 2026, under the powers granted by the Education and Inspections Act 2006.

These Statutory Instruments, made under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, formally confer specific regulatory functions related to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for consumer contract disputes onto the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), effective April 6, 2026.

The Regulations detail the procedures the CTSI must follow when approving fee provisions, handling accreditation applications, suspending or revoking accreditations, enforcing compliance, and disclosing relevant information to consumers, alongside establishing mandatory quarterly and annual reporting requirements to the Secretary of State and the public.

This 2026 Order establishes the Guildford Diocesan Board of Finance as the new trustee for the endowment previously associated with St Bede's Church of England Junior School in Surrey after its premises ceased use for that purpose, authorizing the immediate transfer of assets and the subsequent consolidation of this endowment with the Diocese of Guildford Consolidated Educational Endowments Fund, where the capital and income will be managed under uniform statutory trusts for the benefit of current Church of England schools within the Diocese.