Every calculator on Benefit Sums uses the same rates file, which holds the 2026/27 figures with a link to the source for each one. The figures were last checked on 25 October 2026.
Where the figures come from
- Benefit rates: the DWP’s annual benefit and pension rates table, published each autumn for the following April.
- Scottish benefits: Social Security Scotland and mygov.scot.
- PIP and ADP points: Schedule 1 of the Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013.
- Care charging: GOV.UK and the care charging rules of each UK nation.
- Winter Fuel Payment: GOV.UK guidance for the current winter.
Rounding
Weekly and monthly amounts are shown to the penny. Monthly amounts are turned into weekly ones by multiplying by 12 and dividing by 52, which is how DWP converts pay for Carer’s Allowance. Yearly figures are weekly amounts multiplied by 52. Savings are rounded up to the next full step of £250 or £500, as the rules require.
What our calculators leave out
Each calculator lists the main things it does not cover. The common ones are the benefit cap, deductions for debts or advances, transitional protection, and decisions that depend on evidence, such as how a health condition affects you. Results are estimates.
Testing
The calculation code is separate from the page design, and automated tests check it against worked examples before every release. If a rate changes, the tests show which results move.
When we update
- Autumn: new rates are announced. We add them as soon as they are confirmed.
- 6 April: new benefit year. Calculators switch to the new rates.
- Whenever the rules change: for example the end of the two-child limit in April 2026.
Changes are listed on the editorial policy and corrections page.