Benefits Calculator

The Web Benefits Calculator - simply fill out this form for an instant on-line Benefits estimate.

This calculation is an estimate based on the information you supply. The form should take no more than 5 minutes to complete.

Part 1 - Rent and Local Housing Allowance

Go to Part 2 if you just want help with your Council Tax bill

How much is your rent? Do not include charges for ineligible services such as meals, council tax, garages, heating etc.

How often is rent paid?. Fortnightly and monthly figures are automatically converted to weekly amounts.

How many rent free weeks (if any) are there in your rent year?

Skip this question if you are above State Pension age.If you rent from the council or other social landlord (like a Housing Association) you will qualify for less Housing Benefit if you have spare bedrooms. To find out what is considered to be a spare bedroom, follow this link: Benefit Changes.

And, if applicable, enter your weekly Local Housing Allowance. If this is a new claim and the rental is from a private landlord (not a Housing Association or similar) then the LHA figure will (mainly) be used instead of the contract rent. Click on the link for the latest weekly LHA rates - they depend on the area and the number of bedrooms appropriate for the claim. If the rent is higher than the LHA, you pay the excess - if less, you may recieve up to £15 more than the rent. Make sure you enter the WEEKLY rate, not monthly in this box.

Part 2 - Council Tax

Go to Part 3 if you don't need help with your Council Tax bill

Enter your annual Council Tax bill. Don't take off any Council Tax support you already get.

Has your Council Tax bill already been discounted?

Part 3: General Information

Are you (the claimant) on Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance or Pension Guarantee Credit?

If you answered "Yes" you can skip all the income questions (Parts 7 to 11) because your income is assumed to be zero.

Are you single or living with a partner as a couple?

Enter your age (or the age of the oldest person in a couple)

Because you (or your partner) are 60/61, you could reach the State Pension qualifying age in this financial year. So select the appropriate 60th birthday slot - it can make a big difference to your claim.

And then select a start date slot for this claim estimate "run" in the current financial year (April 2012 to the following April). Again, different start date slots could produce very different results.

Part 4: Capacities and Disabilities

Go to Part 5 if you do not have health/work capacity issues, are not disabled or a carer.
Be sure to enter any Employment and Support Allowance payments in Part 8 as 'other unearned income'.

If applicable, enter your (the claimant's) Employment and Support Allowance details for ESA Phase, ESA element and ESA component.

And your partner's Employment and Support Allowance details for ESA phase, element and component, if applicable.

Do you (or partner) match one of these conditions for disability?
You get Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Invalid Vehicle Scheme or Motability, War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement, Severe Disablement Allowance, Incapacity Benefit (paid at the long term rate) or you are registered blind (or regained your sight in the last 28 weeks)
Or you (the claimant only) have been off work sick for at least 52 weeks (28 if terminally ill) with medical evidence/sick notes

Do you (or your partner) get the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance?

Do these two statements apply to you ? (only say "yes" if both of them apply)

You (and partner) get care component of Disability Living Allowance (middle/high rate) or Attendance Allowance or Constant Attendance Allowance (or partner blind and you get one), and
No other adult lives in your home except your partner, other than disabled persons, your carer, landlord or other tenants,

Is someone getting (or entitled to) a Carer's Allowance for looking after one of you or your partner, or both of you ?

Does the person who is disabled or on ESA (you or your partner) work an average of 16 hours or more a week?

Are you, your partner, or both of you, being paid (or entitled to be paid) a Carer's Allowance for looking after someone?

Part 5: Children and Young Persons

How many children aged under 16 do you or your partner get child benefit for?

How many young adults aged 16 to 19 years old do you or your partner get child benefit for?

How many children included above are disabled and receiving Disability Living Allowance or are registered blind?

How many of those children are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance at the highest care component rate?

Step 6: Single Lone Parent

If you are not a single lone parent go to the next section

Have you been receiving Housing/Council Tax Benefit without a break since 5th April 1998?

Step 7: Earnings

Go to Part 12 if you are on Income Support, IS/JSA or PGC.

Give figures for the claimant (and partner). Include average earnings from employment and self employment. Be sure to enter weekly figures in the Weekly column only and Monthly figures in the Monthly column only.

£ Weekly

£ Monthly

How much do you and your partner earn (before deductions)? (Do not count expenses paid by your employer)

If you work as a childminder how much do you earn from this? (Any earnings from childminding need to be counted separately from other earnings)

How much Income Tax and National Insurance is deducted?

How much do you pay towards a pension scheme?

How many hours are you (or your partner) each working in an average week? Select the highest.

Part 8: Unearned Income

This section requests your Unearned income figures for you (and your partner). Please make them weekly.

Rent from non-family sub-tenants (meals not included). Subtract £20.00 from the weekly rent received from each one.

Income from non-family boarders (meals included). Deduct £20.00 for each one.

Maintenance received from a former partner for you or your partner. Not child support/maintenance payments.

Child support/maintenance payments received for a child of the family

We do not count War Pensions, charitable payments or payments made as a result of personal injury as income. So do not enter them below.

Please enter weekly unearned income from all other sources: This includes Retirement Pensions, monies from annuities, Incapacity Benefit, Maternity or Carers or Severe Disablement or contribution-based Jobseekers or Contributory Employment and Support Allowances. But do not include any Child Benefit, Tax/Pension/Return to Work Credits, interest on savings or Attendance, Disability Living, PIP, Mobility and Fostering Allowances or Community Care Payments.

Part 9: Savings

You cannot qualify for any Housing Benefit or (most) Council Tax Benefit if you and any partner have £16,000 or more in savings and investments. For most working age applicants, you cannot qualify for any Council Tax Support if you and any partner have £9,000 or more - but that limit is £16,000 if you are of pension age. The home you live in and personal possessions do not count.

How much is the value of all cash, savings, bank deposits, Tessas, PEP's, Unit Trusts, ISA's, building society accounts, Tax Credit arrears etc. and all "liquid assets".

How much is the value of "fixed" or non liquid assets and investments - shares, buildings and land (but not the house you are living in). Deduct 10% of the value to cover cost of sale.

Part 10: Childcare

This section requests your eligible childcare charges (up to £175 p/w for 1 child or £300 for more) and student expenses. Charges for registered or approved childcare can be deducted from the income of couples or lone parents in remunerative work or on Statutory Sick, Maternity, Paternity or Adoption Pay or a similar benefit (up to 28 weeks). Each parent must be working at least 16 hours a week - but couples still qualify if one works and the partner is incapacitated, in hospital or prison. N.B. costs of childcare in the child's own home by a close relative are excluded.

Enter the weekly childcare charges paid. Children count up to the September following their 15th birthday (or 16th if disabled).

Enter the weekly student loan or grant contribution which can also be set off against claimant (and partner) income.

Part 11: Tax and Pensions

If you do get them, enter weekly Working Tax Credit and (unless you or partner have reached the age of 60) Child Tax Credit here.

If you already know your Credits then enter your weekly Pension Credit figure here.

If you are not actually being paid any Credits, there is no such income so you should skip the rest of this step. But if you really want an auto estimate then the calculator can do one - "tick" this box and add the extra details below.

Between you and your partner, in an average week how many hours are you working ? Only select "24 to 30" if one is working 16 hrs or more a week.

Are you or your partner working 16 hours or more p/w while the other is incapacitated, in prison, or hospital inpatient ?

Are you (or your partner) a disabled adult on High Rate Attendance Allowance, DLA or a PIP ?

Part 12: Non Rent Paying Adults

This section looks for other adults who live with you but pay no rent (often grown-up children) - but don't count your partner or students. These so called "non-dependents" are assumed to be contributing to the household income so a deduction is made from any benefit for each one. So do enter the number of non-dependents in each of these Income Categories but skip this step if you (or your partner) is disabled due to blindness, or in receipt of the Disability Living Allowance care / PIP living component or Attendance Allowance has been awarded.

Enter the number of non-dependents who:

earn more than £401 per week before deductions

earn between £322 and £400.99 per week before deductions

earn between £242 and £321.99 per week before deductions

earn between £239 and £241.99 per week before deductions

earn between £186 and £238.99 per week before deductions

earn between £183 and £185.99 per week before deductions

earn between £126 and £182.99 per week before deduction

earn under £126 per week before deductions but works at least 16 hours

Enter the gross income figure per week of the non-dependants

The number of non-dependents (working or otherwise) in receipt of any Pension Credit at all

Number of non-dependents (any age) on Employment and Support Allowance Contribution-based (C)

Not on Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (I.B.), ESA or any Pension Credit and not working at least 16 hours p/w

Non-dependents who are under 25 and are on IS, JSA or assessment phase income-related ESA(IR)

Non-dependents who are 25 or over and are on IS, income-related ESA (IR) or JSA: Or under 25 and on main phase income-related ESA(IR).

RESULTS - Click the button below

The total Applicable Amount figure is: (automatically calculated)

The total Net Weekly Income figure is (automatically calculated) including Tax / Pension Credits per week.

The Income amount considered varies between Council Tax Support and Housing Benefit, so this figure may be different depending on what you want an estimate for.

How your benefit is worked out. If the Total Applicable Amount is higher than Net Weekly Income, Maximum Benefit is awarded. But if Net Weekly Income is higher than the Total Applicable Amount, 65% of the "excess income" is deducted from Maximum Housing Benefit to find the award. For Council Tax Benefit a 20% of the "excess income" taper is deducted from the maximum award. NB Non-dependant deductions are also taken off at this stage.

Weekly Housing Benefit Award: Weekly Main Council Tax Benefit is:

Later in 2013 a cap may be put on the total amount of Benefits you can get, one of which is Housing Benefit. No cap will apply to Council Tax Support.

Alternative Result is:

Alternative Council Tax Benefit is often called Second Adult Rebate and only available for pension age people. It is based on the income of the non-dependants. The calculator works out if you are better off with a benefit award based on your circumstances or your non-dependants.

And finally you can use the browser Print button to launch a print or change your figures to calculate again or reset the page and start again.

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