Use this calculator to estimate your monthly Universal Credit for 2026/27. Enter your household, children, health, rent, earnings and savings. It starts from your standard allowance, adds the extra amounts you qualify for, then takes off money for earnings, savings and the benefit cap. It is an estimate, not a DWP decision.
Key points
✓Universal Credit is one standard allowance for your household plus any extra amounts that apply to you, less any money taken off your payment.
✓For every £1 you earn from working, your Universal Credit goes down by 55p. A work allowance lets you earn some money before that starts, but only if you or your partner are responsible for a child or have a health condition or disability that affects your ability to work.
✓Savings over £6,000 reduce your payment by £4.35 for every £250 between £6,000 and £16,000. To claim you must have £16,000 or less.
✓The benefit cap can reduce your payment, but it does not affect you if you, your partner or a child under 18 living with you gets PIP.
✓The two-child limit ended on 6 April 2026, so you now get an amount for every child.
Estimate your monthly Universal Credit
Estimated Universal Credit
£424.90
per month · about £98.05 a week
How this is worked out
Standard allowance+ £424.90
Maximum Universal Credit£424.90
Monthly UC payable£424.90
This is an estimate using 2026/27 rates. It does not cover every situation: see What this calculator can't do, below. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere.
How Universal Credit is calculated
Your payment is one standard allowance for your household plus any extra amounts that apply to you, then money is taken off. These are the monthly amounts for 2026/27 that the calculator uses:
Part of your payment
Monthly amount (2026/27)
Standard allowance, single and under 25
£338.58
Standard allowance, single and 25 or over
£424.90
Standard allowance, couple and both under 25
£528.34
Standard allowance, couple and either of you 25 or over
£666.97
Each child
£303.94
Extra for a first child born before 6 April 2017
£47.94
Disabled child, lower amount
£164.79
Disabled child, higher amount
£514.71
Health condition or disability (LCWRA), higher amount
£429.80
Health condition or disability (LCWRA), lower amount
£217.26
Limited capability for work (LCW), claim started before 3 April 2017
£158.76
Carer amount
£209.34
Childcare, most you can get for one child
£1,071.09
Childcare, most you can get for 2 or more children
£1,836.16
A work allowance means you can earn up to £427 a month before your payment starts to reduce if you get help with housing costs through Universal Credit or live in temporary accommodation arranged by your council because you are homeless. If neither applies, it is £710 a month. If you have no work allowance, your payment reduces from the first pound you earn. See the full how much Universal Credit breakdown and the 2026/27 benefit rates.
The benefit cap is a limit on the total amount of benefit you can get. It does not affect you if any of these apply:
✓Yes: You or your partner get Universal Credit because of limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA)
✓Yes: You or your partner get Universal Credit because you care for someone with a disability
✓Yes: You and your partner earn £881 or more a month combined, after tax and National Insurance contributions
✓Yes: You, your partner or a child under 18 living with you gets a disability benefit such as PIP or DLA
It gives an estimate of the core calculation, but a few situations need a full benefits check:
✗No: Self-employment: if you are gainfully self-employed, your payment may be worked out using a minimum income floor, an assumed level of earnings
✗No: Exact housing amounts: what you get for housing depends on your household size, your age and where you live
✗No: Transitional protection: a payment added to your Universal Credit if you get more from your previous benefits after a Migration Notice letter
✗No: Other income and benefits: your payment is reduced by the same amount as benefits such as Carer's Allowance or Incapacity Benefit
✗No: Advances, overpayments and debts that can be taken off your payment
This is an estimate, not an official decision. GOV.UK says you can use a benefits calculator to check what benefits you could get, and the Help to Claim service provided by Citizens Advice gives free support from trained advisers to make a Universal Credit claim.
If you live in Northern Ireland, GOV.UK says to go to Universal Credit in Northern Ireland, so use the nidirect Universal Credit guide rather than this estimate.
Will claiming UC affect my other benefits?
Universal Credit is replacing 6 other benefits with a single monthly payment.
Benefits you can keep getting:
✓Yes: You keep getting benefits such as PIP or Carer's Allowance when you claim Universal Credit
✓Yes: You might be able to get Universal Credit at the same time as New Style ESA or JSA
✓Yes: A child's PIP or DLA can bring an extra amount for a disabled child
What stops or reduces your Universal Credit:
✗No: Housing Benefit and income-related ESA stop when you or your partner claim Universal Credit
✗No: Pension Credit stops if you or your partner claim Universal Credit
✗No: Your Universal Credit is reduced by the same amount as benefits such as Carer's Allowance, State Pension or New Style ESA and JSA
Work out whether you will be better off before you claim. If you apply for Universal Credit, those benefits might end and you will not be able to apply for them again, even if your application is not approved.
It depends on your circumstances. The 2026/27 standard allowance is £424.90 a month if you are single and 25 or over, and £666.97 if you live with your partner and either of you is 25 or over. On top you may get £303.94 for each child, extra amounts for a disabled child, a health condition or disability (£429.80 or £217.26), caring (£209.34) and housing costs. Money can then be taken off for earnings, savings and the benefit cap. Use the calculator above for an estimate.
How much Universal Credit will I get if I work part time and earn £200 a month?
It depends whether you have a work allowance. A single person aged 25 or over who has no child to look after and no limited capability for work has no work allowance, so Universal Credit reduces from the first pound: £200 of earnings takes £110 off (£200 × 55%), leaving £314.90 of the £424.90 standard allowance. If you do have a work allowance of £427 or £710 a month, earnings of £200 are below it, so your payment does not reduce. Extra amounts you qualify for are added on top in both cases.
How much can I earn before Universal Credit stops?
If you or your partner are responsible for a child or have a health condition or disability that affects your ability to work, you can earn up to £427 a month before your payment starts to reduce (£710 if you do not get help with housing costs). Above that, it goes down by 55p for every £1 you earn. For example, a single person aged 25 or over with no work allowance and no extra amounts gets £424.90, and at 55p for every £1 earned that reaches nothing at £772.55 of earnings a month (£424.90 ÷ 0.55). Your own figure depends on the extra amounts in your award.
Does Universal Credit count savings?
Yes. If you have over £6,000 in money, savings and investments, your payment is reduced by £4.35 for every £250 between £6,000 and £16,000, and another £4.35 is taken off for any remaining amount that is not a complete £250. To claim you must have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments.
Does the two-child limit still apply?
No. The two-child limit ended on 6 April 2026. Universal Credit now pays the extra amount for every child, no matter how many children you have.
Is this the same as the GOV.UK benefits calculator?
No. This is an independent, free estimate using the published 2026/27 rates to help you understand the calculation. It is not run by the DWP and does not decide your claim. GOV.UK says you can use a benefits calculator to check what benefits you could get.
Know Your Rights UK. "Universal Credit Calculator 2026/27: Free UK Estimate." Know Your Rights UK, https://www.knowyourrightsuk.com/benefits/universal-credit-calculator