From April 2026 the Universal Credit standard allowance is £338.58 a month for a single person under 25, £424.90 from 25, £528.34 for a couple both under 25 and £666.97 for a couple where either is 25 or over. Elements for children, health, caring and childcare are added on top, and the total is then reduced by 55p for every £1 of net earnings above any work allowance. The rates below are the DWP’s published figures for 2026/27, uprated by 3.8% from the year before, and the worked examples come from the site’s own calculator.
Standard allowance
| Household | Monthly, 2026/27 | Monthly, 2025/26 |
|---|---|---|
| Single, under 25 | £338.58 | £316.98 |
| Single, 25 or over | £424.90 | £400.14 |
| Couple, both under 25 | £528.34 | £497.55 |
| Couple, one or both 25 or over | £666.97 | £628.10 |
The standard allowance is the starting point for every award. Everything else depends on circumstances.
Elements added to the allowance
| Element | Monthly, 2026/27 |
|---|---|
| Child: first child born before 6 April 2017 | £351.88 |
| Child: first child born on or after 6 April 2017, and each further child | £303.94 |
| Health: limited capability for work and work-related activity, new claims from April 2026 | £217.26 |
| Health: the same element for awards that began before April 2026, and for severe or terminal conditions | £429.80 |
| Carer element | £209.34 |
| Childcare: up to 85% of costs, capped at | £1,071.09 for one child, £1,836.16 for two or more |
| Housing | eligible rent, subject to the Local Housing Allowance for private tenants |
The two-child limit means the child element is normally paid for at most two children born on or after 6 April 2017, with exceptions. The health element changed materially in April 2026: most new claimants with limited capability for work and work-related activity receive £217.26 rather than the £429.80 that continues for existing awards and for people with the most severe or terminal conditions. The Universal Credit calculator builds the maximum award from these elements for any household.
How earnings reduce the award
gov.uk states the rule plainly: “For every £1 you or your partner earn your payment goes down by 55p.” The earnings that count are take-home pay after tax, National Insurance and pension contributions, so the real reduction for each £1 of gross pay is smaller.
Claimants who are responsible for a child or have limited capability for work first get a work allowance, an amount of net earnings that is ignored before the taper starts: £710 a month for 2026/27 if the award has no housing element, or £427 if it does. Everyone else is tapered from the first pound.
Other income, such as most other benefits and pension income, usually reduces the award pound for pound rather than through the taper. Savings above £6,000 reduce it by an assumed income, and savings of £16,000 or more end entitlement.
Two worked examples
A single parent, aged 30, one child born in 2020, renting privately at £850 a month and earning £1,200 a month gross. The maximum award is the £424.90 standard allowance plus the £303.94 child element plus £850 of housing element, £1,578.84. Take-home pay on £1,200 a month is about £1,157. The work allowance with housing is £427, so £730 is tapered at 55%, a reduction of £402. The award is about £1,177 a month, on top of the wages. The better off in work calculator shows how that changes with more hours.
A couple, both over 25, with two children born after 2017, no rent and no earnings. The award is the £666.97 standard allowance plus two child elements of £303.94, a total of £1,274.85 a month, before any deductions such as advance repayments. If one partner takes a job, the household work allowance applies once and the two wages calculator shows how each partner’s earnings interact with the taper.
Limits and deductions that can lower the figure
The benefit cap limits the total of most benefits for out-of-work households, with different limits inside and outside Greater London and for single people and couples; the benefit cap calculator tests whether it applies. Repayments of an advance, a Budgeting Advance or an overpayment come off each payment, as do third-party deductions for rent arrears or utility debts. Non-dependant deductions can reduce the housing element where another adult lives in the home. None of these change the underlying rates, but they explain why a statement can show less than the tables suggest.
Common questions
How much is Universal Credit a month in 2026/27? The standard allowance is £338.58 for a single person under 25, £424.90 from 25, £528.34 for a couple both under 25 and £666.97 for a couple where either is 25 or over, before any elements are added or earnings deducted.
How much is the child element? £303.94 a month for each child born on or after 6 April 2017, and £351.88 for a first child born before that date, normally for up to two children.
What is the health element from April 2026? £217.26 a month for most new claims with limited capability for work and work-related activity, and £429.80 for awards that started before April 2026 and for the most severe or terminal conditions.
How much can I earn before Universal Credit is reduced? If you have a child or limited capability for work, £710 a month of net earnings without a housing element or £427 with one. Otherwise the 55% taper applies from the first pound.
Does Universal Credit pay for childcare? Up to 85% of registered childcare costs, capped at £1,071.09 a month for one child and £1,836.16 for two or more, paid in arrears against costs already incurred.
Did Universal Credit go up in April 2026? Yes. The standard allowance and most elements rose by 3.8%, in line with the September 2025 inflation figure. The health element for most new claims was set at a lower rate as part of separate reforms.
Information, not financial advice. Rates are from the DWP’s benefit and pension rates 2026 to 2027 and the taper wording from gov.uk: Universal Credit and earnings; worked examples are estimates from the site’s calculators and not an official assessment. Check your own circumstances with a full benefits calculator or the DWP before acting on them.