Benefits Calculator

How to make the most of your benefits

Benefits can be a great help to make ends meet, repay your loans or even start building a rainy day fund and save for your retirement. This calculator can help explore how you can get the most out of your benefits and also help you to find out what you can claim.

Increase your income

Universal Credit is a benefit that can assist people who are unemployed, or those with low salaries, to top up their income. The total amount you can get depends on several things such as whether you have a partner, number of dependents or your housing costs. Universal Credit also depends on your monthly take-home pay, so if you have a variable salary, it is a great way to smooth your income.

If you claim a legacy benefit (now covered by Universal Credit) – could switching to Universal Credit increase your entitlement?

Specific groups such as low and middle-income families or disabled people can get additional benefits that reflect their higher living costs such as Child Benefit, Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment.

Reduce your cost

Benefits can also help low and middle-income families reduce their expenses. For example, Housing Benefit will help you to pay your rent and the Council Tax Reduction might reduce your council tax bill. Also, if you are struggling with your mortgage payments, you might be entitled to Support for Mortgage Interest payments.

Save for your future

Benefits can help you become more financially resilient enabling you to save a little each month and the Help to Save scheme can help build your savings with up to £1,200 given over 4 years to start building a savings pot.

You can also use your benefits to boost your pension pot while still keeping most of your take-home income. Within Universal Credit, all your pension contributions are disregarded in the take-home income calculation, which means that for each £100 in pension contributions, you earn an additional £63 in Universal Credit.