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Finance

Web Benefits Calculator

Simply fill out this form for an instant on-line Benefits estimate.

Remember this calculation is an estimate based on the information you supply. For a full evaluation make a formal claim asap. Usually Benefit will only start from the Monday after the Council receive your form.

Other Links:

housing benefit information
council tax benefit information

Step 1
Rent details for a Housing Benefit Claim

(This section requests Rent and Local Housing Allowance details for a housing benefit Claim skip this step if you just want help with your Council Tax bill)

How much is your actual "contract" rent ( warning - the amount may be restricted for benefit purposes if you decide to make a claim ). Do not include charges for ineligible services such as meals and heating.

 £  

And, if applicable, enter your Local Housing Allowance. If this is a fresh 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. Weekly LHA rates are on our website - they depend on the area and the number of bedrooms appropriate for the claim. If the actual rent is higher than the LHA, you pay the excess - if less, you are rewarded with a potential maximum HB of up to £15 more than the rent!

 £ 
Select the "rent period" (how often rent is paid). Fortnightly and monthly figures are automatically converted to weekly amounts.
Enter the number of rent free weeks (if any) in your rent year. Council tenants usually have 4 such weeks. 
(if you enter any figure in this box, your calculation will be adjusted accordingly)



Step 2
Council Tax details

(skip this stage if you do not want help with your Council Tax bill)
Enter your annual Council Tax Bill. (DO NOT INCLUDE WATER, SEWERAGE, DISCOUNTS, EXEMPTIONS AND ANY BENEFIT YOU MAY RECEIVE). £
Has this Council Tax bill already been discounted?



Step 3
General Information about you

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

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

Are you (the claimant) on Income Support,  income based Jobseekers Allowance or Pension Guarantee Credit ?



Step 4
Claimant (and partner) disability or carer details (if any)

(skip if not applicable)

Do you or your partner get any of the following:
Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Invalid Vehicle Scheme or Motability, War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement, Severe Disablement Allowance, Incapacity Benefit (and you are the claimant, who is sick and incapable of work for at least 52 weeks) ?
Are you registered blind (or have regained your sight in the last 28 weeks) ?

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

Do the following 2 statements apply to you?
(1) You (and partner) get care component of Disabilty Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance or Constant Attendance Allowance  (or partner blind and you get one), and
(2) 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 (you or your partner) work an average of 16 hours or more a week?
Are you (the claimant), your partner, or both of you, being paid (or entitled to be paid) a Carer's Allowance for looking after someone?



Step 5
Children and young persons (under 20) for whom child benefit is paid
How many children aged under 16 do you or your partner get child benefit for?
Is there a baby (any child aged under one) in your family?
How many young adults aged 16 to under 20 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 parents only

(skip this step)
Have you been receiving Housing/Council Tax Benefit without a break since 5th April 1998?



Step 7
Details of your earnings

(skip to step 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.
Are you (or partner) 50 or over and recently "off state benefits" after at least six months on them - because now working 16 hours or more ?



Step 8
Unearned income figures for you and your partner (Weekly).

Based on the number of children you have told us about you should get Child Benefit of £ (automatically calculated)
Rent from non-family sub-tenants (meals not included). Please enter the amount you recieve after taking off £20.00 per person. £
Income from non-family boarders (meals included). Please enter the amount you recieve after taking off £20.00 per person. £
Any maintenance received from a former partner or an absent parent? Until the end of October 2008, this includes support/maintenance payments for a child unless you (or your partner) are aged 60 or over. £
We do not count War Pensions, the first £20 of charitable payments or payments made as a result of personal   injury as income. So do not enter them below.  

Unearned income from all other sources each week - This includes Retirement Pensions, Incapacity Benefit, Carer's Allowance and Severe Disablement Allowances.
Do not include Tax/Pension/Return to Work Credits, interest on savings or Attendance, Disability Living, Mobility and Fostering Allowances or Community Care Payments.

 £



Step 9
Savings, Investments and other assets (claimant and partner)

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. 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. £



Step 10
childcare fees and student expenses

Childcare charges (up to £175 p/w for 1 child or £300 for more) and student expenses.
Eligible charges can be deducted from the income of couples or lone parents in remunerative work (at least 16 hours  p/w) or on Statutory Sick, Maternity, Paternity or Adoption Pay or a similar benefit (up to 28 weeks). Couples still qualify if one works and the partner is incapacitated, in hospital or prison.
Enter the weekly childcare fees 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 offset against claimant (and partner) income. £



Step 11
Tax and Pension Credits - income for (nearly) everyone from the Government! They get added to claim income.

We will automatically check to see if you are entitled to any Tax or Pension Credit unless you already have these in payment.  If you already get these please enter your payments below.
If you do get them, enter weekly Working Tax Credit and (unless you or partner have reached the age of 60) Child Tax Credits here. £
If you already know your Credits then enter your weekly Pension Credit figure here. £
This program will do an estimate based on the information you have already supplied. The result may not be fully accurate - but it will be very close. Our estimate might just need to know these extra details....
Between you and your partner, are you working 30 hours or more in an average week?
Are you (or your partner) a disabled adult on High Rate Attendance Allowance?



Step 12
Looks for other adults who live with you and pay no rent (often grown-up children) - but don't count your partner or students

These so called "non-dependants" 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-dependants 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 component or Attendance Allowance has been awarded.

Enter the number of non-dependants who earn £369+ per week (gross)
Enter the number of non-dependants who earn between £296 - £369 per week (gross)
Enter the number of non-dependants per week (gross)
Enter the number of non-dependants who earn between £220 - £223 per week (gross)
Enter the number of non-dependants who earn between £172 - £220 per week (gross)
Enter the number of non-dependants who earn between £169 - £172 per week (gross)
Enter the number of non-dependants who earn between £116 - £169 per week (gross)
Enter the number of non-dependants who earn under £116 per week (gross) but work at least 16 hours
 The number of non-dependants (working or otherwise) in receipt of any Pension Credit at all
There are also 3 categories of "not working" non-dependants (i.e. not working at least 16 hours p/w)
The number not on Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (I.B.) or any Pension Credit and not working at least 16 hours p/w 
Enter the number of non-dependants who are under 25 and are on Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (Income-based)
Enter the number of non-dependants who are 25 or over and are on Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (Income-based)
 
  That is all you need to do!     Click        and let the program work it out     
The total Applicable Amount figure is   (automatically calculated)
The total Net Weekly Income figure is (automatically calculated) including Tax / Pension Credits p/w

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 HB 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.
Final Calculation result is £    Weekly Housing Benefit Award    
Final Calculation result is £     Weekly "Main" Council Tax Benefit       
Alternative Council Tax Benefit is often called Second Adult Rebate. It is based on the income of the non-dependants. The program calculates if you are better off with a benefit award based on your circumstances or your non-dependants.
 Alternative result is £     Second adult rebate weekly CT Benefit
And finally you can use the browser Print button to launch a print or change your figures and click Calculate to do it again.