With the rollout of universal credit occurring at different times in different parts of the country, it can be difficult to work out what benefits you are entitled to.
On this page, you can use our benefit calculator to work out what you’re entitled to claim. If your circumstances change, such as your child turning 16 or leaving work, you can see how these changes might affect your benefits, tax credits, and universal credit entitlement.
Knowing how much money you can expect to have coming in is a vital part of managing your family’s finances. We will keep you up-to-date with any changes made to benefits or tax credits.
The benefit cap can put a limit on how much you receive from benefits. Learn all about the benefit cap and use our tool to see if you might be affected.
There is a maximum amount of benefits that working-age people who are not employed for 16 hours or more a week can receive. This is called a benefit cap.
The maximum amount of benefits that you can get depends on where you live:
• For single-parent families in Greater London: £442.31 per week (£23,000 a year).
• For single-parent families outside Greater London: £384.62 a week (£20,000 a year)
The benefit cap is applied through Universal Credit or Housing Benefit which means that they will be reduced until your total benefits match the cap that applies in your area. Please contact us for further advice.
Most benefits are included in the cap. If you get more than £384.62 a week (or £442.31 a week if you live in London) in total from the benefits listed below, then the benefit cap could affect you.
The cap will apply to the total amount you get from:
You may get a ‘grace period’ for up to nine months which means the benefit cap will not affect your Universal Credit payments if the following is true:
If you were on maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave, or claiming statutory sick pay that is counted as being in work.
If you get Universal Credit, you should contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) through the journal in your online account or by calling the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.
If you do not get Universal Credit, you can call the Benefit cap helpline is 0800 169 0145 or 0800 169 0238 (Welsh speaker). It is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
If you or any of your children have a health condition or disability and don’t get the Disability Living Allowance (DLA), check whether you can claim it. If you or your child were receiving Disability Living Allowance or the personal independence payment the benefit cap won’t apply to you. Call our helpline 0808 802 0925 for more advice.
If you get Housing Benefit and work 16 hours a week or more, the benefit cap won’t apply to you. If you work fewer than 16 hours a week, are you able to increase your hours to 16 or more? If you are on Universal Credit and earn less than £520 per month, are you able to increase your hours so that you earn £520 a month or more?
If you’re in private rented housing, would it be possible to find cheaper accommodation? Could you negotiate your level of rent with the landlord?
If you’re in council housing or with a housing association, speak to your housing provider to see if they can offer you help, such as rehousing or help with your finances.
Apply to your local council for a discretionary housing payment. This is a payment to make up the shortfall in your rent if you are receiving housing benefit or universal credit. The council will decide if you are eligible – they don’t have make a payment, and if they do it’s likely to be for a limited time.
Tax credits and benefits can be complex to calculate. The amounts listed here are a general guide only and are the maximum amounts available. You will need to get a calculation based on your individual circumstances.
Universal Credit has replaced claims for tax credits and a number of existing benefits. Below are the most common rates for Universal Credit. For a full list, visit gov.uk.
| Universal Credit Breakdown | Monthly Rate |
| Standard Allowance (Aged 25+) | £334.91 |
| Standard allowance (Under 25) | £265.31 |
| Eldest child
(born before 6 April 2017) (born on or after 6 April 2017 |
£290.00 £244.58 |
| Second child + any other eligible children (those born before 6 April 2017) | £244.58 |
| Childcare costs – maximum amount | 1 child: £646.35
2+ children: £1108.04 |
| Disabled child | £132.89 |
| Severely disabled child | £414.88 |
| Caring for a severely disabled person | £168.81 |
| Limited capability for work element | £132.89 |
| Limited capability for work-related activity | £354.28 |
You can get the Bereavement Support Payment if your husband, wife or civil partner has died in the last 21 months. It is made up of a lump sum and then a monthly payment for up to 18 months. You must claim within three months of your partner’s death to get the full amount. You will get the higher rate if you get child benefit or do not get child benefit but are entitled to get it or you were pregnant at the time your partner died. You will get the lower rate if you are not entitled to get child benefit.
If your husband, wife or civil partner died before 6 April 2017, you may be able to get the Widowed Parent’s Allowance if the cause of death has only just been confirmed.
If you look after someone for 35 hours a week or more, you may be able to get Carer’s Allowance.
You can get Child Benefit if you are responsible for a child under 16 or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training. Child Benefit is paid monthly but you can have the money paid weekly if you are a single parent.
You may be able to pay less Council Tax if you are working and on a low income or if you are receiving benefits.
You may be able to get 25% off your Council Tax bill if you are the only person aged over 18 who lives in your home.
To find out more about either Council Tax Reduction (or Support) or the single person discount, check your local council’s website. You can use gov.uk’s postcode checker to find it.
You can get help with the extra costs of looking after a child who is under 16 and has care or mobility support needs with the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children. There are two parts, or components, to this allowance, depending on your child’s needs. The allowance is paid monthly.
The care component depends on how much care the child needs and is split into three weekly rates:
Highest rate (£92.40) is for a child that needs help or supervision throughout the day and night or if a medical professional has said they may have six months or less to live.
Middle rate (£61.85) is for a child that needs frequent help or constant supervision during the day, supervision at night or someone to help while they are on dialysis.
Lowest rate (£24.45) is for a child that needs help for some of the day.
The mobility component depends on how much help the child needs to get about and is split into two weekly rates:
Higher rate (£64.50) is for a child who cannot walk, can only walk a short distance without severe discomfort, could become very ill if they try to walk, or are blind or severely sight impaired. The child must be at least three years old.
Lower amount (£24.45) is for a child who can walk but needs help or supervision when outdoors. The child must be at least five years old.
You can get Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) if you have a health condition or disability that affects how much you can work. ESA is paid every two weeks.
While your claim is assessed, you will get an ‘assessement rate.’
If you are entitled to ESA, the amount of money you get will be based on whether you will be able to work in the future.
You can make a new claim for Housing Benefit if you are living in supported, sheltered or temporary housing, for example:
How much you get depends on your rent, number of bedrooms, household income and your circumstances.
You can also apply for Universal Credit to help with other living costs.
If you are on a low income and need help to cover your living costs, you should make a claim for Universal Credit.
If you already receive Income Support, payments are made every two weeks.
If your child is over five and you aren’t working, or are working fewer than 16 hours a week you can claim Jobseekers Allowance.
Single parent under 18: £61.05
Single parent over 18: £77.00
See our maternity, paternity, and adoption page for full details of how to claim and how much is paid
Daily Living Component (standard): £61.85
Daily Living Component (enhanced): £92.40
Mobility Component (standard): £24.45
Mobility Component (enhanced): £64.50
See our disability pages for more information.
See our maternity, paternity, and adoption page for full details of how to claim and how much is paid.
If you are a parent and would like to find out more about our Family Grant Scheme please fill in the following form to request a call back.
If you are a parent and would like to find out more about our Student-Parent Grant Scheme please fill in the following form to request a call back.
(01274) 223292
The Work and Kids Project is a not-for-profit social enterprise that is dedicated to helping parents and young families across the UK achieve financial and emotional independence.
