Tools
Tools to work out your benefits
Free calculators, checkers and planners that show their workings. They use the official 2026 to 2027 rates and never store what you type.
- Nothing saved or sent
- Shows every step
- 2026/27 official rates
Try a tool now
Quick checks you can do in under a minute.
Compares your weekly capped benefits with the 2026 to 2027 cap. Cap levels are frozen this year.
Include Universal Credit, Child Benefit, Housing Benefit and similar.
Enter your weekly benefits above to see your result.
The weekly earnings limit for Carer's Allowance is £204.00 net in 2026 to 2027. Certain costs can be deducted first.
Enter your weekly take-home pay after deductions.
You can deduct half of eligible care costs paid to a registered provider.
Enter your earnings above to see your result.
Source: DWP, Benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027.
Turn weekly, monthly and yearly amounts into each other. Uses the DWP convention: monthly = weekly × 52 ÷ 12.
Enter an amount to see the conversion.
When payments arrive around weekends and bank holidays. Enter your usual payment day to see the next adjusted dates.
Next payment dates
- Mon, 19 Oct 2026
- Mon, 26 Oct 2026
- Mon, 2 Nov 2026
- Mon, 9 Nov 2026
- Mon, 16 Nov 2026
- Mon, 23 Nov 2026
Bank holidays for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland may differ.
All tools
Pick by what you need to do.
See how your allowance, children and earnings add up to an estimate.
Check whether the cap could reduce your Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.
See if your earnings are under the weekly limit.
Turn weekly, monthly and yearly amounts into each other.
When payments arrive around weekends and bank holidays.
Find out when you reach State Pension age.
Build a clear letter to challenge a benefit decision.
Claim document checklist
A list of what to gather before you start a claim.
Benefits checker
Answer a few questions to see which guides to read.
How our tools work
Estimates, not decisions
Only DWP, HMRC, your council or your nation's agency can decide what you get.
Workings on show
Every result lists the amounts and rules used, so you can check them.
Private by design
Tools run in your browser. We never ask for your National Insurance number or bank details.
Updated every April
Rates come from the official DWP and HMRC tables for the current tax year.
Common questions about our tools
Are these official government calculators?
No. These are independent tools that use official 2026 to 2027 DWP and HMRC rates to produce estimates. Only DWP, HMRC or your council can make final decisions about your entitlement. For a comprehensive check including housing and disability amounts, use one of the independent calculators listed on GOV.UK.
Do the tools store my information?
No. All calculations run entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to our servers or stored anywhere. We do not use cookies for the tools. You can verify this by checking your browser network tab.
Why might my actual Universal Credit be different from the estimate?
The UC estimator calculates standard allowance, child amounts and the earnings taper. It does not include your housing element, LCWRA or LCW additions, carer element, childcare costs, capital above £6,000, deductions, sanctions, or other income. Your actual award is calculated by DWP using all of these factors.
What is the benefit cap and how do I check if it applies to me?
The benefit cap limits the total amount of certain benefits a working-age household can receive. In 2026 to 2027, caps are frozen at £442.31 a week in Greater London and £332.04 a week elsewhere (couples or single parents). Use our benefit cap checker to compare your weekly total against the cap.
What is the Carer's Allowance earnings limit?
To receive Carer's Allowance you must earn no more than £204 a week net after tax, National Insurance and eligible care costs in 2026 to 2027. The earnings limit is set each April. Certain care costs you pay to a registered provider can be deducted before the test is applied.
Need a full benefits check?
For a complete check of everything you could get, including housing and disability amounts, use one of the free independent calculators listed on GOV.UK.