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.
A guide to the kinds of income that commonly affect means-tested benefits and where the rules vary between schemes.
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, calculator and guide.
A guide to UK support for families on a low income, Universal Credit, Child Benefit, childcare help, Free School Meals, Healthy Start and more.
UK rent and housing support: Universal Credit housing costs, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction for private and social renters. 2026/27.
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.