How Universal Credit helps once you’re working

Payments that adjust automatically

The amount of Universal Credit you get will depend on your circumstances, including how much you and your partner have earned that month. If your earnings change, your Universal Credit payment will adjust automatically. This means you can always agree to an extra shift or a few more hours. You can be confident that your Universal Credit claim will stay open, and you’ll get more in total than you would have had from Universal Credit alone. If you work in a role that has different hours from week to week, Universal Credit can help to smooth that out. If you earn less than usual in a month, your Universal Credit could increase to help make up some of the difference. And it’s your employer’s responsibility to report how much you earn, so you don’t need to worry about doing it yourself. Read more about Universal Credit and work, including how earnings could affect your payments.

Ongoing help with childcare costs

Universal Credit support with childcare isn’t just for when you start a job – as long as your working and entitled to Universal Credit, you can continue to claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs.

There’s no time limit on how long you get extra help from Universal Credit. It’s there to support you as long as you need it, as long as you’re doing all you can to get back to work or increase your earnings.

;