Check how much Universal Credit you'll get

The housing costs element might pay some or all of your rent or service charge. 

To get the housing element you need to pay the housing costs for where you live.

If you have a mortgage or home loan you might be able to get a loan to help pay your interest - this is separate from Universal Credit.

If you pay rent to a council or housing association

To work out your housing element you need to:

1. check what your room allowance is 

2. take off amounts for people who live with you

You can check your room allowance on GOV.UK unless:

• you or someone you live with has a disability or is a foster carer

• you live with 5 or more people

Talk to an adviser to check your room allowance.

If you live in a property that’s the same size or smaller than the number of bedrooms you’re eligible for, your housing element will cover all your rent. For example - if your room allowance is 2 bedrooms and you live in a 2-bedroom property, your housing element will cover all your rent.

If you have 1 more bedroom than you’re entitled to, your housing element will be reduced by 14%. If you have 2 or more bedrooms more than you’re entitled to, your housing element amount will be reduced by 25%. 

Your housing element might also be reduced by £85.73 each month for every ‘non-dependant’ who lives with you. A non-dependant is someone who’s expected to pay their own share of rent. Non-dependants are often parents, grown children, friends and relatives - but not your partner. 

If you pay rent to a private landlord 

The amount you’ll get will depend on how many people you live with and the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rate for your area. You won’t be paid more than your LHA rate even if your rent is more. 

To work out your housing element, you need to:

1. check what your room allowance is 

2. check what your LHA rate is

3. take off amounts for people who live with you

You can check your room allowance on GOV.UK. If you or someone you live with has a disability or is a foster carer, you might get an increase in your room allowance. Talk to an adviser to check your room allowance.

When you know your room allowance, check what your LHA rate is on GOV.UK. The calculator will ask when your Housing Benefit claim starts - answer with the date your Universal Credit claim starts. 

If your rent is less than your LHA rate, your housing element will cover all your rent. If it’s more, you’ll be paid your LHA rate. For example - if your LHA rate is £950 and your rent is £1050, you’ll be paid £950.

Your housing element might also be reduced by £85.73 each month for every ‘non-dependant’ who lives with you. A non-dependant is someone who lives with you and who’s expected to pay their own share of rent. Non-dependants are often parents, grown children, friends and relatives - but not your partner. 

What the housing element won't pay for

You can't get housing element for:

• debts if you're behind on your rent on your current or previous home

• a care home

• ground rent - a fee you pay to the leaseholder of your property

If you're in temporary or emergency housing

You'll need to claim Housing Benefit if you're having to live away from your usual home. For example, you might be paying for a shelter after experiencing domestic abuse.

You'll keep getting Universal Credit, but you'll get a separate Housing Benefit payment rather than the Universal Credit housing element.

If you're in a shared ownership scheme

You'll normally be paying a mortgage and rent. Universal Credit can help with your rent, but not your mortgage. You'll need to see if you can get a loan to help with your mortgage interest.

If you already get an element for managed migration or an SDP

Your Universal Credit payment might not go up by the whole amount of the housing element. This is because your migration or SDP element will go down at the same time. Talk to an adviser to find out how your payments will change.

Getting more help with housing costs

You can get help with private renting costs or help with the rent for your council home.

You might be able to get extra money from the council if you're behind on your payments or your housing element doesn't cover all your rent.

You'll get the child element added to your standard amount if you're responsible for a child who normally lives with you. You'll get extra amounts for a second child. If you have more than 2 children, you’ll only get extra money if they were born before 6 April 2017.

If any of your children are disabled and getting Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Child Disability Payment or Adult Disability Payment, you’ll also get extra money for them.

Someone is a child up to their 16th birthday. After this they’re a 'qualifying young person' until 31 August after their 16th birthday.

They’ll remain a qualifying young person until 31 August following their 19th birthday if they're in full-time non-advanced education - for example, at school or college. 

You’ll still get a child element for a qualifying young person.

If you’re a foster carer, you can’t get the child element of Universal Credit for anyone you’re fostering. You can still get the child element of Universal Credit for other children who are living with you.

Getting a payment for 3 or more children

You'll usually only get an additional payment for 3 or more children if they were born before 6 April 2017.

There are some exceptions - you might still get a payment for 3 or more children if:

• you have a multiple birth, like twins - if you have 2 or more other children you won't get a payment for the first child in a multiple birth

• you've adopted a child from the UK (unless you were the child's step-parent immediately before adopting them)

• you're caring for someone else's child in a formal care arrangement

• you’re caring for someone else’s child in an informal care arrangement where otherwise they’d be in care

• you have a child from a pregnancy that was from rape or a controlling relationship - find out how to report this and get help if you need it

• you're responsible for a child under 16 who has their own child and they both live with you

You can check the exceptions and how to apply for them on GOV.UK.

If you already get an element for managed migration or an SDP

Your Universal Credit payment might not go up by the whole amount of the child element. This is because your migration or SDP element will go down at the same time. Talk to an adviser to find out how your payments will change.

If any of your children are disabled

You'll get a disability payment if any of your children are disabled. You won't be affected by a maximum total amount you can get from benefits - called the 'benefit cap'. 

There are 2 different disabled child elements. You’ll either get:

• a disabled child element

• a severely disabled child element

The severely disabled child element is £456.89 a month. You'll get this element for any child who is:

• registered blind

• entitled to the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance

• entitled to the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment

• entitled to the highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment

• entitled to the enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment 

If you can't get the severely disabled child element, you might be able to get the disabled child element. This is £146.31 a month. You'll get this element for any children entitled to:

• Disability Living Allowance without the highest rate of the care component

• Personal Independence Payment without the enhanced rate of the daily living component

• Child Disability Payment without the highest rate of the care component

• Adult Disability Payment without the enhanced rate of the daily living component

You can get 1 element for each child who is disabled - it doesn't matter how many children you have.

If you already get an element for managed migration or an SDP, your Universal Credit payment might not go up by the whole amount of the disabled child element. This is because your migration or SDP element will go down at the same time. Talk to an adviser to find out how your payments will change.

You’ll only be paid 85% of your childcare costs. The most you can get for childcare is £950.92 a month for 1 child or £1,630.15 a month for 2 or more. You can't get this if your childcare provider isn't registered or if your employer pays your childcare for you.

You can claim childcare costs if you:

• are in paid work

• are starting paid work in the next month

• left a job less than a month ago

• are getting statutory sick pay

• are on statutory maternity pay, Maternity Allowance or any other kind of statutory parental pay 

You’re eligible for the childcare element for a child up to 31 August after their 16th birthday.

If you're living with your partner you'll both need to be working to get childcare costs - unless your partner can't provide childcare because they:

• have limited capability for work

• are caring for a severely disabled person - they'll need to be getting or eligible for Carer's Allowance

• are temporarily away from home

If you need help with childcare costs in advance

If you need to make your first childcare payment before you get the extra amount from Universal Credit, you can ask your work coach about the Flexible Support Fund (FSF). If you get money from the FSF, you’ll still get your full Universal Credit childcare amount - as long as the DWP agree it will help you stay in work.

If you move to Universal Credit because you got a letter called a ‘migration notice’, the DWP might pay you extra to stop you being worse off. This is called ‘transitional protection’.

You can only get transitional protection if you’ve had an official migration notice from the DWP, and you claim by the deadline. If you’re not sure what letter you have, check if your letter is a migration notice.

Transitional protection means that:

• if you’d get less on Universal Credit than your old benefits, you’ll get an extra amount to make up the difference - called a ‘transitional element’

• if you’re a full-time student who wouldn’t usually get Universal Credit, you can usually get it until the end of your course

• if you get tax credits and have over £16,000 savings, you can get Universal Credit for up to a year

The transitional element will reduce over time. When some other parts of your Universal Credit payment increase, your transitional element will decrease by the same amount. This means your overall Universal Credit payment that month might not increase.

Your transitional element will end if either:

• it’s reduced to £0

• you move in with your partner, or split up with them

Your transitional element might also end if your income falls below a certain amount for 3 months in a row. This will happen if:

• you’re single and earned at least £677 a month when you first claimed Universal Credit

• you have a partner and earned at least £1,083 a month together when you first claimed Universal Credit

If your income falls below that amount for 3 months in a row, your transitional element will end.

You might get an extra payment if you have a health condition that means you can't work. You'll need to show that you have 'limited capability for work' (LCW) or 'limited capability for work-related activity' (LCWRA).

If you and your partner are both sick or disabled you’ll only get 1 extra payment. 

Unless you have a joint claim, you can't get the element for sickness or disability and the carer element – you’ll get whichever is higher.

If you have a joint claim you can get both the element for sickness or disability and the carer element - but only if you’re eligible for one and your partner is eligible for the other. For example, you’ll get both elements if you’re eligible for the sick or disability element and your partner is eligible for the carer element.

How much you'll get

If you have LCWRA you'll get an extra £390.06 a month, and the DWP won't set a maximum amount for what you can get in benefits - called the 'Benefit Cap'.

If you already get an element for managed migration or an SDP, your Universal Credit payment might not go up by the whole amount of the LCWRA element. This is because your migration or SDP element will go down at the same time. Talk to an adviser to find out how your payments will change.

If you have LCW, you won't normally get extra money. The exception is that you'll get an extra £146.31 each month if you've been sick since before 3 April 2017 and the DWP have already said you have LCW. This could have been for Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance.

When you'll get the extra amount

You'll usually start getting the extra payment in your fourth or fifth payment after you give the DWP evidence that you have LCWRA. If it takes longer for the DWP to decide, they'll backdate your payment so you don't lose out.

In some situations you might get the extra amount in your next Universal Credit payment. This includes if you:

• are terminally ill and your health professional says you might not live more than a year

• previously had Universal Credit with an LCW or LCWRA element and the award ended within the last 6 months because you had too much income 

• get ESA with the support or work-related activity component, or got it at the time you claimed Universal Credit 

You might also get the extra amount in your next payment if you were assessed as having LCW or LCWRA as part of an ESA claim and you were on a 'credit-only claim' when you claimed Universal Credit. This means you were only getting National Insurance (NI) credits.

If you’ve had a migration notice telling you to move to Universal Credit, the DWP will usually include your SDP when they work out your migration element.

If you haven’t had a migration notice

You should get extra money called an SDP ‘transitional element' if you were getting an SDP with:

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Income Support

You must also still meet the qualifying conditions for the SDP on the date that your Universal Credit award starts.

You won’t get the SDP transitional element if you start living with a partner who is claiming Universal Credit.

If you’re not sure if you were getting an SDP, check your benefits letters. If you’re still not sure, contact whoever paid the benefit - you can find the contact details in your benefits letters.

Check how much SDP transitional element you'll get

In your first assessment period, the amount you’ll get will depend on your situation. If you’re in more than one of these situations, you’ll get whichever amount is higher.

If your first Universal Credit assessment period started on or after 29 June 2023

If you or your partner has a carer, the rules are more complicated. You won't get the higher amount of £445.91 if your carer started getting either of the following in your first assessment period:

• Carer’s Allowance

• the carer element of Universal Credit

You’ll get one of the lower amounts instead, depending on whether your claim includes the limited capability for work-related activity element.

If your first Universal Credit assessment period started before 29 June 2023

If your first Universal Credit assessment period began on or after 10 April 2023, you’ll get the new amount of SDP transitional element.

If you were already getting Universal Credit before 10 April 2023, you’ll get the old amount of SDP transitional element and this won’t go up.

If your other Universal Credit elements increase

The DWP will reduce your transitional element if your other Universal Credit elements increase. This doesn't apply to the childcare element - it won't affect your transitional element.

Talk to an adviser if you’re not sure you’re getting the right amount.

You'll get an extra £185.86 a month added to your standard amount if you look after a severely disabled person for at least 35 hours a week.

It's worth telling the person you look after about your claim - they could lose some of their benefits if you get the extra amount.

You’ll only get the extra money if you look after someone without being paid and if they’re getting at least one of these benefits: 

• Attendance Allowance

• the standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment

• the middle or highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance

• Constant Attendance Allowance paid with a war disablement pension or industrial injuries benefits

• Armed Forces Independence Payment

• the standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component of Adult Disability Payment

• the middle or highest rate of the care component of Child Disability Payment

If you already get Carer’s Allowance you can still get the carer element. Your Carer’s Allowance will count as ‘unearned income.’ This means your Carer’s Allowance payments will be taken off your Universal Credit payments. 

It's worth getting Carer's Allowance as well as Universal Credit. Carer's Allowance is paid more often than Universal Credit, and if your Universal Credit payments are stopped, you'll still get your Carer's Allowance payment.

Unless you have a joint claim, you can't get both the carer element and the element for sickness or disability - you’ll get whichever is higher.

If you have a joint claim you can get both the carer element and the element for sickness or disability - but only if you’re eligible for one and your partner is eligible for the other. For example, you’ll get both elements if you’re eligible for the carer element and your partner is eligible for the sick or disability element.

If you have a joint claim and you and your partner care for different people, you'll get 2 carer elements.

If someone else is caring for the same person as you for at least 35 hours a week, you can't both get benefits for caring for them. Only one of you can get Carer's Allowance or the carer element.

If you already get an element for managed migration or an SDP

Your Universal Credit payment might not go up by the whole amount of the carer element. This is because your migration or SDP element will go down at the same time. Talk to an adviser to find out how your payments will change.

The Benefit Cap might not be applied to your Universal Credit payments for 9 months after you stopped earning. This is called a ‘grace period’.

The 9 months includes time before you claim Universal Credit. After 9 months the Benefit Cap will be applied.

You’ll be in a grace period if your earnings were at least a certain amount for the 12 months before you stopped earning. If you were already claiming Universal Credit it depends on the 12 months before the assessment period in which you stopped earning. Your earnings must have been at least:

• £604 a month for each of the 12 months that started between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021

• £617 a month for each of the 12 months that started between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022

• £658 a month for each of the 12 months that started between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023

• £722 a month for each of the 12 months that started from 1 April 2023 or later

If you have a partner, these amounts will include their earnings too.

If your earnings have gone down to less than £722 a month, the Benefit Cap might not be applied to your Universal Credit payments for 9 months. This is called a ‘grace period’. After 9 months the Benefit Cap will be applied.

You’ll be in a grace period if your earnings were at least a certain amount for the 12 months before the assessment period in which they went down. If you claimed Universal Credit later it depends on the 12 months before you started your claim. Your earnings must have been at least:

• £617 a month for each of the 12 months that started between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022

• £658 a month for each of the 12 months that started between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023

• £722 a month for each of the 12 months that started from 1 April 2023 or later

If you have a partner, these amounts will include their earnings too.

If you weren’t already claiming Universal Credit, you’ll only get a grace period if you start your claim soon after your earnings go down. This is because it depends on your earnings in the 12 months before your claim.