Find out what you're entitled to — in under a minute

Why so many people miss out on benefits they're owed

Every year around £23 billion in benefits and support goes unclaimed across the UK, according to estimates from Policy in Practice and the charity Turn2us. The reasons are rarely about eligibility — they're about confusion. The system is complex, the language is intimidating, and many people simply assume they "won't qualify" without ever checking.

Universal Credit has replaced six older "legacy" benefits — including Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance — into a single monthly payment. Whether you qualify, and for how much, depends on your income, savings, housing costs, number of children, and any health conditions. Our calculator brings those factors together so you can get a realistic figure in seconds, before deciding whether to make a claim.

How our benefit calculator works

The calculator follows the same logic the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) uses to build a Universal Credit award. It starts from your standard allowance, then adds the elements that apply to your household:

• Child element — an extra amount for each dependent child (a higher rate applies to a first child born before 6 April 2017).
• Housing element — help towards rent, capped at your eligible rent.
• Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) — an additional amount if a health condition limits your ability to work.

It then applies two reductions: the earnings taper (your award falls by 55% of net earnings above the work allowance) and a capital deduction if your savings are above £6,000. Savings above £16,000 usually mean you can't claim Universal Credit at all. These are exactly the thresholds published in the DWP's "What you'll get" guidance for 2025/26.

2025/26 Universal Credit standard allowance rates

Source: DWP / GOV.UK, 2025/26 benefit rates. Figures shown per assessment period (roughly one month).