Welcome to your personal guidance tool. This package is designed to help you navigate Universal Credit and employment with confidence. Use the menu above to explore three key sections:
Dashboard: A quick overview and entry point to the tools.
Calculator: An interactive calculator to help you understand how working hours and earnings affect your Universal Credit payments.
Profile: A private area to document your unique strengths and challenges in a strengths-based format, which can be useful for conversations with your Work Coach or future employers.
See how your Universal Credit is affected by your earnings.
Document your personal strengths and challenges for employment.
See how your Universal Credit changes when you start working up to 16 hours a week. This tool is for illustrative purposes only.
Important: Eligibility for other benefits like Free School Meals can change when your income increases. We recommend checking with your local council or a benefits advisor to confirm your status.
For every £1 you earn over your Work Allowance, your Universal Credit payment will be reduced by 55p. This is the 'taper rate'.
As you can see, even though your Universal Credit payment may be reduced, your total combined income from wages and UC will typically increase. This is due to the Work Allowance and the taper rate, which are designed to ensure you are always better off in work.
For a more detailed and personalized calculation, you should always use an official benefits calculator:
Use this section to document your unique strengths and challenges. This can be a useful tool for you and your work coach.