Universal Credit Wage & Assessment Period Forecast Tool

Universal Credit Wage & Assessment Period Forecast

Use this tool to see how your wage dates fall into your Universal Credit assessment periods, and how extra or missing wage payments might change your UC award. This can help you plan for assessment periods where UC may be lower or higher than usual.

Important:
This tool assumes, for this calculation, earnings from one job with one regular pay pattern (for example, weekly or monthly pay from a single employer).

It does not include:

Multiple jobs
A partner’s earnings
Overtime, bonuses or irregular pay
Self-employment income

If these apply, the real UC changes will be more complex.

Step 1 – Your Universal Credit assessment periods

How is your Universal Credit paid?

Paid once per assessment period (one monthly UC payment) Paid twice per assessment period (Scottish “twice monthly” UC option – two payments each month)

On what date of the month do you usually receive your Universal Credit payment?

This is the date shown on your UC statement most months – for example, the 5th, 12th or 28th.

Sometimes your UC is paid early when this date would fall on a weekend or a public holiday. That’s normal – but your usual date stays the same.

Example: if you usually get UC on the 12th, but it arrived on the 10th last month because of a weekend, your usual date is still the 12th – choose 12 from the list.

Start date of your current assessment period End date of your current assessment period

We’ll use these dates as the basis for future assessment periods.

Step 2 – Your wages and pay pattern

How often are you paid from this job?

When did your most recent wage from this job reach your bank account?

If your pay date moves because of weekends or bank holidays, use the date it actually reached your bank.

Step 3 – Your usual take-home pay

How much do you usually receive from this job each time you are paid?

Use your usual net pay (the amount that reaches your bank). If your pay changes a lot, use a typical payment or your usual basic amount after tax and National Insurance (and after pension, if this is taken from your wage).

Step 4 – Work Allowance (if you have one)

Do you have a Work Allowance in your UC claim?

A Work Allowance is an amount of earnings that UC ignores before the 55% taper is applied. You usually have a Work Allowance if you have responsibility for a child/qualifying young person, or you have LCW/LCWRA. If you don’t have children and don’t have LCW/LCWRA, you normally do not have a Work Allowance.

I do not have a Work Allowance I have a Work Allowance and I get help with rent (lower Work Allowance) I have a Work Allowance and I do not get help with rent (higher Work Allowance) I’m not sure if I have a Work Allowance

If you choose “I’m not sure”, this tool will assume no Work Allowance in the calculations. If you do have a Work Allowance, the real UC change will never be larger than shown, and will usually be smaller. Where possible, we will show a range that depends on whether a Work Allowance applies.

We’ll show how many wage payments fall into each assessment period for the next 18 assessment periods, and an estimate of how your UC might go up or down.

Results will appear here once you complete the form and submit it.
The calculator will show assessment periods first, then how many wage payments fall into each one, and estimate the UC impact from this job.

Universal Credit Wage & Assessment Period Forecast

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