Universal Credit is the main working-age means-tested benefit in the UK, combining housing support, child elements, childcare support, health elements and basic living costs into a single monthly payment. This hub brings together the main calculators and guides so you can move from a quick estimate to a detailed understanding.
Use the main estimator first, then move into the worked examples and explainers that match the change you are trying to understand.
Free Universal Credit calculator for 2026/27. Estimate UC from earnings, rent, children and savings, including the £6,000, £16,000 and tariff income rules.
Check whether your monthly benefits appear to be above the current cap inside or outside Greater London, using the current family and single-adult limits.
Check how savings affect Universal Credit in 2026/27. See the £6,000 lower limit, £16,000 upper limit and £4.35 per £250 tariff income rule.
See how working more hours affects your Universal Credit award, work allowance, 55% taper and net change per £100 earned.
Estimate possible council tax support using local-bill size, income, benefits and savings. Independent UK checker.
Universal Credit guide for 2026/27: rates, work allowance, £6,000 and £16,000 capital limits, tariff income, savings rules and what working families should check next.
Savings rules for UK benefits 2026/27: UC ignores savings below £6,000. Between £6,000 and £16,000 your award is reduced by £4.35/month per £250 over the threshold. At £16,000+, UC stops. Pension Credit uses a more lenient £10,000 disregard. PIP and Child Benefit are unaffected by savings.
What counts as income for Universal Credit in 2026/27: earnings tapered at 55% after the work allowance, benefits that count pound-for-pound, and what is ignored like PIP and Child Benefit.
Use these follow-up pages to move from the main estimate into worked examples, explanations and the questions that change awards most often.
Single parent benefits 2026/27: Universal Credit work allowance, Child Benefit, childcare support and council tax help, with a full worked example and calculator.
A guide to UK support for families on a low income, Universal Credit, Child Benefit, childcare help, Free School Meals, Healthy Start and more.
Benefits for renters 2026/27: Universal Credit housing costs capped at your Local Housing Allowance rate, Housing Benefit for pension-age cases, plus Council Tax Reduction, with a worked rent example.
UC savings rules 2026/27: below £6,000 ignored entirely, £6,000–£16,000 reduces your award at £4.35/month per £250 over, £16,000+ stops UC entitlement. Use the savings impact calculator to see the effect on your award.
Working more hours and Universal Credit 2026/27: the 55% taper means you keep 45p per extra pound earned above the work allowance (£710/month or £427 with housing). See a worked example of exactly how your UC award changes.
Partner moves in and benefits 2026/27: UC switches to a joint claim, savings are assessed jointly, single person council tax discount ends. See what changes, what to report to DWP and by when.
Rent increase and UC 2026/27: the housing element is capped by the Local Housing Allowance for your area, a rent rise above the LHA cap doesn't increase UC. See the LHA rules, benefit cap interactions, and DHP options.
Written and reviewed by James Whitfield and the editorial team.
Every figure is checked against current GOV.UK guidance and reviewed for the 2026/27 tax year. We explain the numbers in plain English with worked examples. Editorial standards · About us