Benefit calculator-how accurate

[Lovelyivy]

How accurate is the benefit calculator ? I will become single in few months and I’m worried how much I will have after paying all the bills😓 my biggest worry about becoming single mum. I work 16hours on 10£/hour weekends, live in South east London. Right now all the money except council tax and water/electricity (about 400£/month left after bills) goes to me and my son and my partner (soon to be ex) pays the rent. Feeding and clothing two of us for 400/month is not bad but I can’t ever afford anything extra so I can’t imagine I might be left with less after we break up. Thanks everyone

If its Universal Credit you will be claiming, you're award would look something like this:

If your child was born before April 6th 2017 you'd get £277.08 for the child element, if after then £231.67. If your over 25 you will get £317.82 for yourself, under 25 it is £251.77

So:
£317.82/£251.77 standard allowance
£277.08/£231.67 child element
2 bed, lha rate entitlement (look up your area)? Assuming you will have rental costs.

If you pay childcare, you can get up to 85% of the costs. The most they will be pay is £646.

Add this all together then your monthly wages minus £198 (work allowance, you can earn this before anything is taken off your entitlement as you are responsible for a child) then × your wages by 0.63 (UC deduct for wages at 63p for each £1). Then take it off your original award and that will be your final entitlement.

Does this make sense?

So:

For example your over 25 and your son was born before 6th April 2017.

317.82
277.08
700.00 (housing, this is different for different areas)
Total: £1294.90

Earnings - £693.33
Minus work allowance (£198) - £495.33 taken into consideration.
£495.33 x 0.63 = £312.06 deducted for earnings.
Total UC - £982.84 after deductions.
Income: 928.84+693.33.

Please note, any extra earnings above this will be deducted at 63p for ever £1.

Add your childcare costs help on top off this if need be.

You will also get child benefit on top of that as this separate from universal credit.

Hope I've helped

Thank you :) that’s great :) now I just need to figure the housing benefit. But it doesn’t sound as bad...I might have even more than I have now:)