How much is Universal Credit?

Our Benefits calculator  will quickly show:

• if you could qualify for benefits, including Universal Credit

• how much extra money you could get

• if you could get other payments and discounts on top.

If you want to find out how your Universal Credit payment is made up, we explain how the different parts work below.

Universal Credit is made up of:

• a standard allowance, and

• additional elements if you’re: 

  • responsible for children 
  • an unpaid carer
  • unable to work due to an illness or disability, and/or
  • renting your home.

It’s worked out as a single monthly payment, but you might get paid twice a month if you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland. 

For more information, see our guides:

• Universal Credit if you live in Scotland

• How to apply for Universal Credit in Northern Ireland.

If you’ve been sent a Migration Notice from the DWP, this means your existing ‘legacy’ benefits will stop by the deadline on the letter. 

You’ll automatically get a top up payment if your Universal Credit payment is less than what you get now, your circumstances are unchanged and you apply in time. This is called ‘transitional protection’ and means you won’t be worse off. 

For more information and how long it lasts, see our guide Moving to Universal Credit from other benefits.  

The standard Universal Credit allowance you’ll get is based on your age and if you live with your partner.

You can use our Benefits calculator to see how much this works out to a week.

Your Universal Credit payment will stop when you (or both of you, if claiming as a couple) reach State Pension ageOpens in a new window. To continue getting help, you’ll need to apply for Pension Credit instead.

On top of your standard allowance, you might qualify for one or more extra payments depending on your personal circumstances. 

These are called additional elements and can give you support for:

• children and childcare costs

• housing costs

• caring (carer element)

• long-term illness and disability (limited capability for work and work-related activity element).  

Our Benefits calculator will show you which ones you could qualify for.

The total amount of Universal Credit you get is based on your earnings and income for the previous month – called your assessment period.

For example, if you applied for Universal Credit on 5 January, your first assessment period would run until 4 February. Your second would then be 5 February to 4 March and so on.   

This means your payment could change (or stop) based on:

• how much your other income was, such as from:

  • wages or pensions 
  • other benefits. 

• if you start or stop qualifying for additional elements

• the amount you had in savings and investments 

• If you’re repaying certain debts from your Universal Credit payment.

Here’s how your payment could change each month.

Your Universal Credit payment will usually go down by 55p for every £1 you earn by working.

Any amount you earn usually reduces your Universal Credit payment, but you’ll qualify for a work allowance if you or your partner are:

• responsible for a child, or 

• unable to work many hours due to an illness or disability. 

This means your Universal Credit payment will only reduce by 55p for every £1 you earn over your allowance.  
 
Here are the monthly work allowances for the 2024/25 tax year (until 5 April 2025):

• £404 if your Universal Credit payment includes housing costs, or

• £673 if it doesn’t include housing costs. 

Our Benefits Calculator includes a ‘What if’ tool, so you can see how much you’d get if your wages went up or down.  

Your Universal Credit payment will usually go down by £1 for every £1 you get from pensions and other benefits. 

But a few benefits will not reduce your payment. See entitledto for a list of the non-work incomeOpens in a new window and other benefitsOpens in a new window that will reduce your Universal Credit payment.

If more than one person is caring for the same person, you’ll need to decide who will get the carer element.

If you and your partner have savings or investments worth:

• £6,000 or under, your Universal Credit payment won’t change

• £6,001 to £16,000, your payment will go down the more savings you have

• Over £16,000, you won’t qualify for anything.  

For more information, see our guide  How do savings and lump sum payouts affect benefits? 

Your Universal Credit payment might go down by up to 25% if you’re repaying things like:

• hardship payments

• advance payments or loans

• ‘third-party arrears’, such as: 

  • debt with electricity, gas and water providers
  • overdue Council Tax. 

From April 2025 if you claim Universal Credit the amount of money that can be taken from your standard allowance each month towards repayments will be reduced from 25% to 15%.

Your statement on your online Universal Credit accountOpens in a new window will show if there are any deductions. 

If you’re paying a lot of money back to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and you’re struggling to meet other essential costs, such as rent or food, you can contact the DWP Debt management centreOpens in a new window to see if you can work out a more affordable repayment plan. 

If you’re struggling and have missed payments,  speak to a free debt adviser for help and affordable ways to tackle your debt. 

To get Universal Credit, you must meet the conditions set out in your ‘claimant commitment’. For example, agreeing to apply for a certain number of jobs and attending training or work preparation sessions.

If you don’t, you might get a penalty known as a sanction. This means your Universal Credit may reduce or stop for a while. 

For more information, see our guide Benefit sanctions and what to do about them.

The benefit cap is the maximum amount your household can get in benefits. 

But it might not apply to you, for example if you’re over State Pension age, have a disability or earn over a certain amount. See GOV.UK for a list of when you’re not affectedOpens in a new window