How much Universal Credit will I get? (2024)

How much Universal Credit (UC) will I get?

How much Universal Credit you can get will depend on the income and circ*mstances of all the household members. To get an estimate of what you may be entitled to when you claim Universal Credit, you can use the Turn2us Benefits Calculator.

In working out your Universal Credit award, firstly your household’s maximum Universal Credit award is calculated. This will be made up of one standard allowance and any additional elements that apply.

Universal Credit Standard Allowance

Your standard allowance will depend on whether you are single or claiming as a couple, and your age. There is one standardallowance for your household:

• Single claimant aged under 25: £311.68per month
• Single claimant aged 25 or over: £393.45per month
• Joint claimants both aged under 25: £489.23per month
• Joint claimants either aged 25 or over: £617.60per month

Universal Credit additional elements

There are additional elements that can be added to your basic allowance. Your household may qualify for more than one of these:

• Child element
• Childcare costs element
• Limited capability for work element (abolished for most new claimants from 3 April 2017)
• Limited capability for work and work-related activity element (LCWRAelement)
• Carer element
• Housing costs element
• Transitional amount for people who had Severe Disability Premium on their
• Transitional amount for people who were moved to Universal Credit through .

The same person cannot get a LCWRAelementas well as a Carer element even if they are eligible for both.

Universal Credit award

If your household has noearnings, other income, capital or savings, the Universal Credit awardyou receive will beyour maximum Universal Credit award (one standardallowance plus any additional elements) unless you are affected by the Benefit Cap.​

If anyone in your household hasearnings, other income, savings or capital, these will need to be taken into account to work out the Universal Credit award you may receive.

See our Universal Credit income and capital guide for further details.

What if my Universal Credit entitlement is less than my current entitlement?

Some people find they receive less money under Universal Credit than they would have received under the system.

People who are part of the on to Universal Credit will not be worse off when they move over to Universal Creditif they are entitled to less under Universal Credit than under the benefits that are being replaced by it.They will receive a ‘transitional amount’ to top up their Universal Credit to the same amount they were getting on . If you've received a migration notice letter telling you to claim Universal Credit, read our Universal Credit Migration Notice guide to find out about your next steps.

People who make a new claim for Universal Credit, including people who need to claim Universal Credit because of a change of circ*mstances, will not receive any transitional amount if their Universal Credit entitlement is less than they would get under the benefits it replaces (there is an exception for people who received Severe Disability Premium on their ). Only people transferred by will get the transitional amount.

See our Universal Credit Transitional Protection guide for further details.

Related content

• Help with Childcare Costs
• Universal Credit - How to Claim
• Universal Credit (UC) housing costs element
• Universal Credit Migration Notice

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