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Benefits calculator

Fill out this form for an instant online estimate of the benefits that you may be entitled to.

Remember this calculation is an estimate based on the information you supply. For a full evaluation you will need to make a formal claim and will need to supply supporting evidence.

If you rent from a private landlord (not the council or a housing association), the rent you are charged may not be the rent we can use to assess your entitlement. If you claim from April 2008, your Housing Benefit will generally be worked out using the Local Housing Allowance. For more information about Local Housing Allowance see How LHA is worked out.

Please include all income, capital, and household members and their income and capital - this will help you to get a more realistic assessment of what benefits you may be entitled to.

Step 1 - Rent details (including Local Housing Allowance)

Skip to step 2 if you do not want help with paying your rent.

How much is your rent? Do not include charges for ineligible services such as meals and heating.	£
How often do you pay your rent?
How much is your weekly Local Housing Allowance (if applicable)? See Local Housing Allowance Rates for more details.	£
Enter the number of rent free weeks (if any) in your rent year. Council tenants usually have 4 rent free weeks.

Step 2 - Council tax details

Skip to step 3 if you do not want help with your council tax bill.

Enter your actual annual council tax bill (without taking off any council tax benefit you already get).	£
Has this council tax bill already been discounted?

Step 3 - General information about you

Do you receive Income Support (IS), income based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) or Pension Guarantee Credit (PGC)?
Are you single or living with a partner as a couple?
Enter your age (or the age of the oldest person in a couple)

Step 4 - Disabilities and carer details

Complete this section if you have a disability, receive care or are a carer. Otherwise skip to step 5

Are you: receiving Attendance Allowance? receiving Constant Attendance Allowance? receiving Disability Living Allowance? receiving Invalid Vehicle Scheme or Motability? receiving War Pensioners' Mobility Supplement? receiving Severe Disablement Allowance? receiving Incapacity Benefit (and you are the claimant, who is sick and been incapable of work for at least 52 weeks)? are registered blind (or have regained your sight in the last 28 weeks) ?
Do you (or your partner) receive the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance?
Do these two statements apply to you? (only say "yes" if both of them apply) 1. You (and partner) receive care component of Disabilty Living Allowance (middle/high rate), Attendance Allowance or Constant Attendance Allowance (or your partner is blind and you receive 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 receiving (or entitled to) a Carer's Allowance for looking after you, 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 (CA) for looking after someone?

Step 5 - Children and young people (under 19) who you receive benefits for

How many children aged under 16 do you or your partner receive child benefit for?
Is there a baby (any child aged under one) in your family?
How many young adults aged 16 to 19 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 - Lone parents

Complete this step if you are a lone parent. Otherwise skip to step 7.

Have you been receiving housing benefit or council tax benefit without a break since 5 April 1998?

Step 7 - Your earnings

Skip to step 12 if you receive Income Support (IS), income based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) or Pension Guarantee Credit (PGC).

Give figures for you and your partner. Include average earnings from employment and self employment.

Accounts for the previous 52 weeks of trading are normally requested as proof of self employed income, showing all business transactions and expenses.

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 Taxand National Insurance is deducted?
How much do you paytowards 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 - Your unearned income

Enter any unearned income figures for you and your partner. Please make them weekly.

Based on the number of children you have told us about you should receive Child Benefit of £ - (automatically calculated)
Rent from non-family sub-tenants (meals not included). Do subtract a £ 20.00 disregard from the weekly rent received from each one.	£
Income from non-family boarders (meals included). Deduct £ 20.00 for each one.	£
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.	£
Unearned income from all other sources each week - This includes: Retirement Pensions Incapacity Benefit Carer's Allowance Severe Disablement Allowances. This does not include: Income from War Pensions, charitable payments or payments made as a result of personal injury as income Tax/Pension/Return to Work Credits Interest on savings Attendance, Disability Living, Mobility and Fostering Allowances Community Care Payments	£

Step 9 - Your savings, investments and other assets

Enter any savings, investments and other assests that you and your partner have.

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, PEPs, Unit Trusts, ISAs, building society accounts, Tax Credit arrears, etc. and all liquid assets.	£
How much is the value of any 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 - Your childcare charges and student expenses

Enter any childcare charges (up to £ 175 per week for one child or £ 300 for more) and any student expenses.

Charges for registered or approved childcare 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. Costs of childcare in the child's own home by a close relative are excluded.

Enter the weekly childcare charges 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 set off against you and your partner's income.	£

Step 11 - Tax and Pension Credits

Tick this box if you currently receive any tax or pension credits. Skip the rest of this step if you do not currently receive any credits.
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.	£
And if you do get Pension Credit then enter your weekly Pension Credit figure here.	£
Otherwise, let this program 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 - Other adults who live with you but pay no rent (non-dependants)

Skip to Calculate if you don't have non-dependant adults living with you.

These are often grown-up children - but don't count your partner or students. These non-dependants are assumed to be contributing to the household income so a deduction is made from any benefit for each one.

Skip this step if you (or your partner) is disabled due to blindness, receiving the Disability Living Allowance care component, or Attendance Allowance has been awarded.

in the Top Earnings Category (£ 369+ per week gross)		between £ 296 and £ 368.99 p/w gross earnings
between £ 223 and £ 295.99 p/w gross earnings		between £ 220 and £ 222.99 p/w gross earnings
between £ 172 and £ 219.99 p/w gross earnings		between £ 169 and £ 171.99 p/w gross earnings
between £ 116 and £ 168.99 p/w gross earnings		under £ 116 p/w gross but works at least 16 hours

The number of non-dependants (working or otherwise) in receipt of any Pension Credit at all
The number not on Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance (I.B.) or any Pension Credit and not working at least 16 hours p/w
The number of non-dependants who are under 25 and are on Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (Income-based)
The number of non-dependants who are 25 or over and are on Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (Income-based)

Press the 'calculate' button below for an estimate of the benefits you are entitled to.

How your benefit is worked out.

We have now calculated your net weekly income.

If your net weekly income is lower than the total applicable amount, maximum benefit is awarded.

If net weekly income is higher than the total applicable amount, 65% of the "excess income" is deducted from maximum housing benefit to find the award. For council tax benefit, 20% of the "excess income" is deducted from the maximum award.

NB: Non-dependant deductions are also taken off at this stage.

The total applicable amount is £ (automatically calculated)

The total net weekly income is £ (automatically calculated)

Including tax credits and pension credits p/w of £

Based on the information you have supplied, you may be entitled to:

Weekly housing benefit of £

Weekly "main" council tax benefit of £

Alternative calculation

Alternative council tax benefit is often called second adult rebate. It is based on the income of the non-dependants who live with you, and is usually paid when someone you live with is on a low income. The program calculates if you are better off with a benefit award based on your circumstances or your non-dependants.

Weekly "alternative" council tax benefit/second adult rebate: £

To print a copy of this calculation use the print button in your browser. If you change any of your figures press calculate again for an updated calculation, or press to clear all the figures you have entered.

City Of York Council