Universal Credit · AET & Earnings Tools 2025 / 26

AET Checker & Hourly Wage Calculator

See if you meet the Admin Earnings Threshold (AET), estimate your pay from your hourly rate and hours, and understand how close you are to easing work coach pressure.

Administrative Earnings Threshold 2025 calculator for single and couple Universal Credit claims.

Independent tool – not run by DWP

Choose a tool

Household type

For 2025/26 the AET is £952 (single) and £1,534 (couple) per assessment period.

Your hourly wage (for extra hours estimate)

Use whichever hourly rate you’d likely use to increase your earnings (e.g. main earner’s rate).

Your earnings this assessment period

Earnings before tax, NI and pension from work in this assessment period.

Hourly wage

Average hours per week

hrs

Drag the slider or type a number – include overtime only if it’s fairly regular.

Tax figures are a rough guide for England/Wales/NI based on 2025/26 bands. They don’t include National Insurance or any special circumstances.

AET in plain English

The Admin Earnings Threshold (AET) is the earnings level where, in most cases, Universal Credit treats you as already working enough. It’s based on what you earn before tax, National Insurance and pension deductions in a single assessment period.

Single claimant AET: £952 per assessment period
Couple AET (joint claim): £1,534 per assessment period

If you’re consistently at or above the AET, you’ll usually be in a lighter-touch regime with fewer or no regular work coach meetings – though your exact commitments still depend on your full circumstances.

Quick questions

Do both people in a couple have to work?
No. A couple can meet the AET from one person’s earnings alone, or a mix of both. That’s why the couple calculator lets you leave one earnings box empty.

Does this change my Universal Credit automatically?
No – this is only a guide. Your actual commitments and payments are decided through your Universal Credit account and conversations with your work coach.

Is this an official DWP tool?
No. This is an independent calculator based on the latest published GOV.UK information. It’s here to help you understand the rules before you talk to them.