Estimate your monthly Universal Credit for 2026-27 with the 55% taper and work allowance
Estimates only, not financial advice. What you type stays on your device. Checked against sources on 17 Oct 2026.Universal Credit is a monthly maximum amount, made of a standard allowance (£424.90 for a single person aged 25 or over) plus extra amounts such as £303.94 for each child and help with rent, less 55p for every £1 of take-home pay above the work allowance of £427 or £710.
2026-27 · Rates and rules read from the sources listed on this page (the earliest on 17 Oct 2026); they may have changed since.
Choose single or couple and whether you (or either of you) are 25 or over.
Enter your children and any disability, health or carer amounts that apply.
Enter the rent Universal Credit allows and any childcare you pay.
Enter your monthly take-home pay, savings and any other benefits.
Read the monthly award and the working: maximum amount less 55% of pay above the work allowance.
This calculator estimates one month of Universal Credit from the amounts DWP publishes on GOV.UK and in force on 17 October 2026. It follows the steps GOV.UK describes, so you can see why the award is what it is.
1. The maximum amount. One standard allowance per household, plus the extra amounts that apply:
| Amount | A month |
|---|---|
| Single, 25 or over | £424.90 |
| Couple, either 25 or over | £666.97 |
| Each child | £303.94 |
| Disabled child, lower or higher | £164.79 or £514.71 |
| Health condition, less severe or severe | £217.26 or £429.80 |
| Carer's element | £209.34 |
| Childcare | 85% of costs, up to £1,071.09 or £1,836.16 |
Your housing costs are added as you enter them: the rent Universal Credit counts for you.
2. Pay. Universal Credit is based on take-home pay. With a child or a health condition you keep a work allowance (£427 with housing help, £710 without); above it the award falls by 55p for every £1.
3. Savings and other benefits. Over £6,000, £4.35 comes off for every £250 up to £16,000; above £16,000 there is no entitlement. Benefits such as New Style JSA or State Pension come off pound for pound.
An example. A single parent aged 25 or over, one child, £600 rent, £1,000 take-home pay: maximum £1,328.84, less 55% of £573 (£315.15) = £1,013.69 a month.
Not included. The benefit cap, the rules on how much rent counts, self-employment, transitional protection and deductions for debts or advances. For take-home pay, see the UK Income Tax Calculator.
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GOV.UK lists £338.58 a month for a single person under 25 and £424.90 for a single person aged 25 or over. A couple gets £528.34 if both are under 25 and £666.97 if either is 25 or over. Extra amounts for children, disability, caring, childcare and housing are added on top.
For every £1 of take-home pay, Universal Credit goes down by 55p. Households with a child, or with a health condition that limits work, first keep a work allowance: £427 a month if they get help with housing costs, £710 if they do not. Pay below the allowance does not reduce the award.
Each child adds £303.94 a month, and GOV.UK lists the amount for each child that lives with you. If your first child was born before 6 April 2017 that child adds another £47.94. A disabled child adds £164.79 or £514.71 depending on the disability benefit they get.
Yes. Up to £6,000 makes no difference. Between £6,000 and £16,000 the award falls by £4.35 a month for every £250, and another £4.35 for any part of £250 left over, so £10,000 of savings costs £69.60 a month. Above £16,000 you cannot claim.
Up to 85% of registered childcare costs while you work, and for a couple both partners must normally be working. The most you can get is £1,071.09 a month for one child and £1,836.16 for two or more. You pay the provider first and claim the money back.
The award reaches zero when 55% of the pay above your work allowance equals your maximum amount. For a single parent aged 25 or over with one child and £600 of rent counted, the maximum is £1,328.84, so payments stop at about £2,843 of take-home pay a month.
Rates and rules change; check the source before you rely on a figure.
Still stuck? Ask about Universal Credit Calculator 2026-27 (UK) and anybody who knows can answer. No account needed.
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