This calculator is designed to help individuals determine what they can claim from national and local government.

If you are an organisation we have tools specific to your needs designed to save you time & deliver efficiencies so we’d like to tell you about the services we offer to help your organisation.

Before you start

Before you start to use the calculator, there are a few things you will need to know. It will be easier for you to work through all the questions if you have gathered this information for you and your partner, if you have one.

• Details of all your income, e.g. earnings, state pension, occupational pension, disability benefit, attendance allowance or other state benefits.
• If you are married, in a civil partnership, or living with someone as a couple, what is your partner’s income, including any benefits? We need to know this as you will be assessed as a couple. If you have anyone else living with you, we need to know about that too – see below.
• How much money do you have in savings, investments and other capital?
• How much is your annual council tax bill and do you get any discounts?
• Do you pay rent, service charges or mortgage? How much?
• Do you have anyone else, eg grown-up children, living with you? Are they in employment or on benefits? What is their income?
• Does anyone receive Carer's Allowance or a Universal Credit carer element for looking after you or anyone in your household?

You may be asked to enter your income from benefits. If you don’t know how much you get, your most recent award letter will tell you. If you are not sure of the name of the benefit you get see the 'How to tell which benefits you receive' section below.

If you don’t have the exact information that you need, it is possible to complete the process using estimates, but please be aware that the results may not be correct for you.

How to tell which benefits you receive

It is important that you tell us how much you get from each benefit separately, as different rules apply to income from different benefits.

If you have an award letter from the Department for Work and Pensions this will tell you the name of the benefit(s) you receive. This is the best way to find out how much you currently receive in benefits.

Alternatively, when DWP put money into your bank account there is normally a label attached to the relevant line on your bank statement showing the initials of the benefit you get.

Please also note that if you pay tax it is important that you enter your net income from benefits, after any tax due has been paid.

Tips for using the calculator

If you have not used this calculator before the following tips may be useful:

Information buttons

Next to most questions you will find a blue i button. Clicking the button will help you to find out more about what the question is asking for.

Links

There is a lot of information about the benefit system and we couldn't put all of it on one page at once. So if you come across a question and want to know more, check to see if any of the help text is underlined. If it is, you can click on the underlined word to find out more.

Pound sign

If the question is asking you for an amount of money, for example 'how much is your rent', there should be a £ sign already in the box. You don’t need to put the £ sign in yourself.

Boxes

Some of the questions have multiple choice options displayed in boxes. If you click on the box with the answer you want to select this means you are answering 'yes' to that option.

Drop down menu

Some of the questions will have a range of answers, the first option will be displayed in a box with an arrow next to it. If the answer box has arrows you can click on the arrows and a 'drop-down box' will appear showing all the other possible answers. Move your mouse over the options and click the one you want. The drop-down box will stay there until you select an answer or click somewhere else on the screen.