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Universal Credit
A monthly payment for people of working age on a low income, out of work, or unable to work. It replaced six older benefits, including Housing Benefit for working-age people and tax credits.
Who can get it
- You live in the UK and are 18 or over (some 16 and 17 year olds can claim).
- You're under State Pension age. If you live with a partner who has reached it, you can still claim together.
- You and your partner have £16,000 or less in savings and investments.
- You can be working, self-employed, out of work, or too ill to work. There's no limit on hours.
Couples must claim together, and both incomes count.
See what you could get
Answer a few plain questions and get a list of the benefits and help you're likely to get, with amounts and links to apply.
Check what I can getHow much you could get in 2026-27
Universal Credit is worked out by adding up the amounts that apply to you, then taking off your earnings, other income and some savings.
| Standard allowance (one per household) | Per month |
|---|---|
| Single, under 25 | £338.58 |
| Single, 25 or over | £424.90 |
| Couple, both under 25 | £528.34 |
| Couple, either 25 or over | £666.97 |
| Extra amounts | Per month |
|---|---|
| Each child (until 31 August after they turn 16, or 19 in approved education) | £303.94 |
| Extra for a first child born before 6 April 2017 | £47.94 |
| Disabled child, lower rate | £164.79 |
| Disabled child, higher rate (highest DLA care, enhanced PIP daily living, or blind) | £514.71 |
| Limited capability for work and work-related activity (most new claims from 6 April 2026) | £217.26 |
| The same, for severe lifelong conditions, terminal illness, or claims from before 6 April 2026 | £429.80 |
| Carer (35 hours a week for someone on a qualifying disability benefit) | £209.34 |
| Childcare: up to 85% of costs, most for one child | £1,071.09 |
| Childcare: most for two or more children | £1,836.16 |
The child amount is now paid for every child. The old two-child limit no longer applies to the child amounts shown on GOV.UK from April 2026.
Help with rent is added for renters. Private rents are capped at the Local Housing Allowance for your area and the bedrooms you need. Single people under 35 usually get the shared room rate. Social tenants with spare bedrooms lose 14% (one spare room) or 25% (two or more).
How your pay affects it
For every £1 of take-home pay, your Universal Credit goes down by 55p. If you have children or a health condition that limits your work, you can first earn a work allowance:
| Work allowance | Per month |
|---|---|
| If you get help with housing costs | £427 |
| If you don't | £710 |
Pensions and some benefits (like Carer's Allowance and New Style JSA or ESA) come off pound for pound. Child Benefit, PIP and DLA don't count as income.
Savings
The first £6,000 doesn't count. Between £6,000 and £16,000, each £250 (or part of £250) is treated as £4.35 a month of income. Over £16,000, you can't get Universal Credit.
The benefit cap
Most working-age households can get no more than a set total in benefits: £1,835 a month for couples or parents, or £1,229.42 for single people (£2,110.25 and £1,413.92 in Greater London). You're exempt if you earn about what 16 hours a week at the National Living Wage pays, or if someone gets a disability benefit, the carer amount, or limited capability for work and work-related activity.
How to claim
- England, Scotland and Wales: apply online on GOV.UK.
- Northern Ireland: claim on nidirect.
The first payment comes about 5 weeks after you claim. If you can't wait, ask for an advance, which you pay back from later payments. In Scotland you can choose to be paid twice a month and have rent paid straight to your landlord.
Useful extras on Universal Credit
- Free school meals for every child in England from September 2026.
- Warm Home Discount of £150 in England and Wales.
- Cheaper broadband, and Healthy Start if you have young children and low earnings.
- Help to Save: if you're working, save up to £50 a month and get a 50% bonus, up to £1,200 over 4 years.
Sources
Every figure on this page is copied from these official pages, for April 2026 to March 2027 (checked 3 November 2026):
- GOV.UK: Universal Credit, what you'll get
- DWP: Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027
- GOV.UK: Help to Save
This is a guide, not advice. The office that runs each benefit decides who gets it. Rules can change.