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GeraCash / UC benefit calculator / Methodology

Gera Net Support Index — Methodology

A fully reproducible, public formula computed from published DWP benefit rates. Every number traces to an official, OGL-licensed UK government source.

What is the Gera Net Support Index?

The Gera Net Support Index (GNSI) is a Gera-computed index that scales a household archetype's maximum Universal Credit award at zero earnings to a 0–100 score. It is designed to allow instant comparison of how generous UC is across different household types — a single adult with no children scores lower than a family with multiple elements.

GNSI is NOT an entitlement calculator; it does not account for council tax support (which varies by local authority), capital limits, savings, other household income, or transitional protections. It is a comparative index derived from published DWP rate inputs only. For a full entitlement check, use the government's official calculator at gov.uk/benefits-calculators.

Formula (reproducible)

# Step 1: sum the elements

gross = standardAllowance + sum(elements)

# Step 2: at-zero-earnings award

maxUC = gross // earnings = 0, so taper = 0

# Step 3: GNSI

GNSI = min(100, round(maxUC / 10, 1))

# Taper function (general, any earnings E)

workAllowance = 684 if higher_wa else 411 if lower_wa else 0

taperReduction = max(0, (E - workAllowance) * 0.55)

ucAward(E) = max(0, gross - taperReduction)

The scaling factor (÷ 10) maps a £1,000/month UC award to a GNSI of 100. Values above 100 are capped at 100 (a few archetypes with very high element stacks exceed this threshold). The taper-out point (where UC reaches £0) is:

taperOutPoint = gross / TAPER_RATE + workAllowance

= gross / 0.55 + workAllowance

Input rates — DWP 2025–26 (exact published values)

Source: DWP — Benefit and pension rates 2025 to 2026, published 21 November 2024. OGL v3.0.

Rate nameMonthly (£)Notes
Standard allowance — single under 25£316.98DWP 2025–26
Standard allowance — single 25+£400.14DWP 2025–26
Standard allowance — couple, both under 25£497.55DWP 2025–26
Standard allowance — couple, one/both 25+£628.10DWP 2025–26
Child element (born on/after 6 Apr 2017)£292.81DWP 2025–26
Child element (born before 6 Apr 2017 — first child)£339.00DWP 2025–26
Limited capability for work (LCW) element£158.76DWP 2025–26
LCWRA element£423.27DWP 2025–26
Carer element£201.68DWP 2025–26
Higher work allowance£684.00No housing costs element in UC — DWP 2025–26
Lower work allowance£411.00With housing costs element in UC — DWP 2025–26
Taper rate55%55p reduction per £1 earned above work allowance

Worked example

Archetype: Single parent, aged 25+, one child (born on/after 6 Apr 2017)

1. Standard allowance (single 25+): £400.14

2. Child element: £292.81

3. Gross (maxUC): £692.95

4. GNSI = min(100, round(692.95 / 10, 1)) = 69.3 / 100

5. Higher work allowance applies: £684.00/month

6. Taper-out point = £692.95 / 0.55 + £684.00 = £1943.91/month

7. UC at £600/month earnings = max(0, £692.95 − (600 − £684.00) × 0.55)

= max(0, £692.95 − 0) = £692.95/month (earnings below work allowance, no taper)

What the GNSI does NOT include

  • Council Tax Reduction (CTR): Varies by local authority; no national rate table is published. Not estimated or modelled.
  • Childcare costs element: Capped at £1,031.88 (one child) / £1,768.94 (two+ children) — these are variable and claim-specific. Excluded from the base GNSI.
  • Transitional protection: Legacy-benefit transitions can affect UC amounts on a claimant-specific basis.
  • Capital/savings rules: UC is reduced if savings exceed £6,000 and stopped above £16,000.
  • Two-child limit: In most cases only two children are supported; third and subsequent children are excluded unless a specific exception applies.

All 45 modelled household archetypes

Single, under 25, no childrenGNSI 31.7Single, 25 or over, no childrenGNSI 40Single, 25 or over, limited capability for workGNSI 55.9Single, 25 or over, LCWRAGNSI 82.3Single, 25+, one child (born after April 2017)GNSI 69.3Single, 25+, one child (born before April 2017)GNSI 73.9Single, 25+, one child + LCWRAGNSI 100Single, 25+, two childrenGNSI 98.6Single, 25+, two children + LCWRAGNSI 100Single, 25+, one child + carer elementGNSI 89.5Single, under 25, one childGNSI 61Single, 25+, carer (no children)GNSI 60.2Couple, both under 25, no childrenGNSI 49.8Couple, one or both 25+, no childrenGNSI 62.8Couple, 25+, one child (born after April 2017)GNSI 92.1Couple, 25+, one child (born before April 2017)GNSI 96.7Couple, 25+, two childrenGNSI 100Couple, 25+, two children + LCWRAGNSI 100Couple, 25+, one partner LCWRAGNSI 100Couple, 25+, one partner LCWGNSI 78.7Couple, 25+, carer (no children)GNSI 83Couple, 25+, one child + carer elementGNSI 100Couple, 25+, three childrenGNSI 100Single, 25+, one child + LCWGNSI 85.2Single, under 25, LCWRAGNSI 74Couple, 25+, one child + LCWRA + carerGNSI 100Single, 25+, two children + carer elementGNSI 100Couple, 25+, two children + carer elementGNSI 100Single, 25+, one child + LCWRA + carerGNSI 100Single, 25+, one child (with housing costs element)GNSI 69.3Single, 25+, two children (with housing costs element)GNSI 98.6Couple, 25+, one child (with housing costs element)GNSI 92.1Couple, 25+, two children (with housing costs element)GNSI 100Single, 25+, LCWRA (with housing costs element)GNSI 82.3Couple, 25+, LCWRA (with housing costs element)GNSI 100Single, 25+, one child + LCWRA (with housing costs element)GNSI 100Single, under 25, one child (with housing costs element)GNSI 61Couple, both under 25, one childGNSI 79Couple, both under 25, one child (with housing costs element)GNSI 79Couple, 25+, carer (with housing costs element)GNSI 83Single, 25+, carer (with housing costs element)GNSI 60.2Single, under 25, LCWGNSI 47.6Couple, 25+, two children + carer + LCWRAGNSI 100Couple, both under 25, LCWRAGNSI 92.1Single, 25+, one child (born before 2017) + LCWRAGNSI 100

Contains public sector information published by Department for Work & Pensions and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DWP — Benefit and pension rates 2025 to 2026 (Tax year 2025–26 (from April 2025), published 21 November 2024).