Checking your income

If you’re struggling with the cost of living, worried about paying bills, or unsure what help is available, the Better Off Calculator is the first step in understanding your finances.

Amanda Ryan, bpha’s Money Advice Manager

Share this article

Many people miss out on benefits because they don’t know what’s available

The Better Off Calculator is an online tool that helps you check which benefits you may be eligible for and how much support you could receive. It also includes a budgeting planner, so you can see exactly how your income matches up against your essential expenses.

The calculator is easy to use. You just need to have details about your income and main expenses to hand, and you should be done in a few minutes.

Get started:

Visit betteroffcalculator.co.uk
Enter your household details and income information
Review your benefit entitlements and budget summary
Contact the Money Advice Team for further support if needed.

Maximise your income

Many people miss out on benefits because they aren’t aware of what’s available – particularly if you’ve had a change in circumstances. The calculator quickly checks your eligibility for a wide range of benefits—including Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, and local grants.

Plan your budget confidently

With the built-in budgeting tool, you can see how much you need to set aside for bills, food, and other essentials. This helps give you a clear picture of your financial situation.

Get personalised advice

After completing your benefit check, if you need to, you can contact the Money Advice Team for free, impartial, and confidential support. Our Advisers can help you claim the benefits you’re entitled to and offer guidance on managing debt or hardship.

The Money Advice Team in action:

Mr A has severe health conditions. When he was hospitalised, his Universal Credit stopped as he wasn’t able to respond to their communication. We supported him to go to tribunal, where he was awarded over £9,000 in backdated payments.

Miss P is a single mother of two who had fallen into rent arrears and was at risk of eviction. Our Money Adviser slowly built a relationship of trust with her which included us discovering that she had been receiving half the amount of housing costs that she should have. We were then able to correct this and secure a backdated payment, avoiding the eviction process completely.

One of our team met with Mrs K and noticed that she had a lot of care needs. Our Adviser helped Mrs K apply for Attendance Allowance which then made her eligible to full Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support, as well as significant Pension Credit Entitlement.

Mr O has mental and physical disabilities and no income, and his partner’s income wasn’t enough to cover essential expenses. Our Adviser helped him to claim Universal Credit, sickness and disability benefit, increasing his income by over £1300 per month.

Email us

Contact the Talk editorial team