USING BENEFIT CALCULATORS

Universal Credit is a payment to help with living costs. It is for people who have a low income, are out of work, or cannot work. Universal Credit is a tapered benefit, which means it reduces according to the amount of wages someone earns. Essentially, those on lower wages can receive a higher amount towards their living costs. Universal credit is an all-inclusive benefit, it replaces a range of separate benefits so that clients receive one payment. The benefits it has replaced are Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Working Tax Credit.

Universal credit has replaced housing benefit in many cases. For insecurely housed residents however, it is still used to cover housing costs. It is paid directly to tier 2 councils (District or Borough) for emergency accommodation residents. It is directly paid to tier 1 councils (County) for supported accommodation. For those living in private rented accommodation, it is paid to the individual within their Universal Credit.

ESTAR recommend using entitledto.co.uk, as it is user friendly and also used by DWP coaches. Please be aware, you cannot use the calculators for clients under 18, and they will not give accurate results for clients if they are: a student, not a British or Irish citizen, currently on strike, or currently in prison.

• The type of accommodation they live in (please note that emergency accommodation falls under temporary accommodation, and refuge accommodation falls under supported accommodation).
• The postcode of the accommodation they currently live in.
• If they have a partner, any children, or any other person living in their accommodation (such as an elderly relative or lodger).
• Their citizenship or immigration status.
• The client's age.
• If the client is sick or disabled.
• If the client receives any benefits such as disability allowance, housing benefit, income support, or any other benefits, and how much they are.
• The client's income (see step 5 for the different sorts).
• The client's eligible rent. Visit entitledto.co.uk/help/rent for support.
• If the client is entitled to rent-free weeks, how many.

Step 1 - 'Where you live'

In this section you will also need to state the type of accommodation the client is living in. This can be difficult for some residents to identify. 

What is temporary accommodation? Temporary accommodation includes emergency accommodation. It is provided by the local authority (District or Borough Council) to relieve homelessness.

What is supported accommodation? Supported accommodation includes refuges, age 16–19 accommodation and specialised mental health accommodation.

What is Council housing or housing association accommodation? Council housing or housing association accommodation is permanent accommodation. Clients living in these situations will have a secure tenancy agreement.

What is living rent free? A client may be living with a family member rent free, but can still be at-risk of homelessness if this is an unstable situation.

Where clients are living in unsuitable conditions, including rough sleeping, sofa surfing, non residential accommodation (e.g. garage), or private accommodation without a secure rental agreement, they will be marked as 'homeless'.

Step 2 - Your Household

This section asks:

• If the client has a partner and/or children living in the household. 
• If there is anyone else living in the household (e.g. a grown up child, elderly parent). 
• Whether the client is a British/ Irish citizen, or their immigration status. 

If the client is in hospital/residential care, currently a prisoner, on strike, living abroad or a full-time student please seek help at advicelocal.uk

Step 3 - Age and disability status

In this section you will need to complete the client's:

• Age. 
• Employment status. 
• Receipt of disability or sickness benefit. 
• If they are ill/ disabled, but do not claim an allowance. 
• If the client is a carer for someone who is sick or disabled. 

Step 4 - Benefits received

In this section you will need to answer whether the client is in receipt of any benefits, such as housing, jobseekers, or universal credit. If the client does not know what their benefits are, the programme will calculate them in the results section.

Step 5 - Income

In this section you will need to answer questions about the client's income from various routes. You will need to declare the amount received from:

• Non-state pensions. 
• Fostering allowances. 
• Household savings or capital over £6,000. 
• Spousal maintenance payments. 
• Charity or voluntary income. 
• Any income from sources not already mentioned. Please DO NOT INCLUDE income from benefits that have not been asked about (e.g. tax credits, Housing Benefit, Universal Credit, Child Benefit etc.). 

Step 6 - Housing costs

In this section you will need to state:

• The client's eligible rent (weekly or monthly). Eligible rent is the cost of accommodation only, any additional charges (e.g. service charge, utility costs) should not be added here. 
• If rent free weeks are included, how many. Those housed in temporary or supported accommodation normally will not receive these, so please mark "0". 
• How many bedrooms in the household. 

For help with working out eligible rent and information about rent-free weeks, please visit entitledto.co.uk/help/rent

Step 7 - Council Tax

This section asks:

• The area the client lives in. 
• If the client is eligible for disability-related reduction in their council tax. 
• If the client qualifies for a 25% reduction due to living alone. 

Those in supported/ temporary accommodation only have to pay council tax if they are in self-contained accommodation. This means they do not share toilet or kitchen facilities with those outside their household.

Step 8 - Results

The results of your calculation will be displayed. You can choose to view the benefit calculation weekly or monthly.

If your client needs further support in reading or explaining the results, please seek professional support at advicelocal.uk

You can use the 'How much better off would you be in work?' section to see how different wages will affect your client's benefits. This is very useful when exploring potential work.