Providing benefits advice in the UK is a tough job with constantly changing rules and regulations and increasingly stretched resources. At entitledto we know benefits advisers do an incredible job of helping people to improve their financial situation by providing entitlement advice and we want to help you help more people out of poverty.

The poverty statistics do not make for comfortable reading. Millions of people in the UK are struggling to make ends-meet and it’s likely many of them are not claiming the benefits they are entitled to (see our Over £20 billion still unclaimed in means tested benefits blog).

• 13.5 million people in the UK are living in poverty. This includes 7.9 million working age adults, 3.9 million children and 1.9 million pensioners. 
• 1.5 million people are classified as destitute. 650,000 of these have  physical or mental health problems and 365,000 are children.
•  39% of people in poverty are disabled. 67% are renting. 35% are lone parents. 67% have someone in paid work.  

Figures from IncomeMax

How can the adviser calculator help to bridge this gap?

Our new tool has been created to help professionals easily provide accurate and reliable benefit calculations for their clients. It includes all of the existing features you are used to seeing in the free version of our calculator and introduces several more to help you provide individual advice.  To find out more about the differences between the free calculator and this adviser calculator see this comparison guide.

Here are five ways the new tool aims to assist advisers to improve their client’s income:

1. Scenario planning

Changes in circumstances such as moving house, having a baby or gaining a new partner can significantly impact a household’s income.

Understanding and planning for these changes is easy with the new scenarios option within the adviser calculator. 

This premium feature (not found on free calculators) helps advisers to easily model, save and compare unlimited changes of circumstances for clients. See our introduction to scenarios guide for more information on how scenarios can help planning for a change in entitlement.

2.  Highlighting the benefits of being in work  

Explaining and calculating work changes can get quite complicated but it's really important that people can understand how changes will impact their finances before making work decisions.

The unlimited better off calculation functionality within the adviser calculator can help you guide your clients through the transition from claiming benefits to being in work.

Simple graphical comparisons between on-benefit and in-work situations will help clients understand the benefits of moving into work and plan accordingly so that their finances aren't adversely affected.

3. Comparing income under current system and Universal Credit

The adviser calculator makes it really easy to understand how people will be impacted by natural and managed migration and what will trigger a move onto Universal Credit. You can switch between entitlements under the current system and Universal Credit to provide timely advice about what a move to UC may mean for each individual you are assisting. 

4. Forecasting possible varying Universal Credit payments 

People that have varying earnings, can find they have reduced and fluctuating payments under Universal Credit. 

By checking payment dates against assessment periods the UC calendar within the adviser calculator clearly illustrates how weekly or 4 weekly earnings (or monthly earners that are paid on a different date each month) could  affect someone’s  UC payments. 

5. Helping you stay ahead of the game

All adviser calculator clients can stay ahead of the game with free webinars and policy updates specifically written for advisers. This will ensure that you are always up-to-date with the latest rules and regulations and can help reduce the impact of financial hardship and poverty amongst your clients. 

Interested in finding out more about the calculator?

Find out more and upgrade at http://entitledto.co.uk/organisations/upgrade