Increase in UC Administrative Earnings Threshold from 1 April 2024

Contents

1. How your earnings affect your payments
2. If you’re responsible for a child or have a health condition
3. If you do not get paid or get paid more than once in an assessment period
4. If you’re paid monthly and your payday changes
5. If you’re paid weekly, every 2 weeks or every 4 weeks
6. If you earn a different amount each assessment period
7. If you earn £2,500 or more over your earnings limit
8. Earnings and your responsibilities

The ’Administrative Earnings Threshold’ (AET)

The AET is an amount you can earn that affects what you’re asked to agree to.

For individual claimants, the AET is £743 per assessment period.

Additionally, if you’re in a couple, the combined couple’s AET is £1,189 per assessment period.

If you earn below the AET

If you as an individual earn below the AET in an assessment period, you must:

• show you’re actively looking for more, or better-paid work
• be available for work

unless you’re part of a couple whose combined earnings are at, or above, the couple’s AET.

If you’re part of a couple whose individual earnings are below the individual AET, and whose combined earnings are below the couple’s AET, both of you must:  

• show you’re actively looking for more, or better-paid work
• be available for work

You will also get regular personalised support from a ‘work coach’. Your work coach can help you with job search strategies, interview skills and connecting with employers.

If you earn above the AET

If you earn the individual AET or more, you do not need to actively look for more or better paid work.

Additionally, if you’re in a couple, and your combined earnings are equal to or higher than the couple’s AET, you or your partner do not need to actively look for more or better-paid work.

The Conditionality Earnings Threshold (CET)  

The CET is an amount that’s based on the number of hours you can reasonably be expected to work or do work-related activities. It is based on your circumstances.

If you earn between the AET and your CET, you do not need to have regular meetings with your work coach. But you can ask to meet one if you think it would help you to search for work.

If you earn above your CET, you will not have regular meetings with a work coach.

Self-employed earnings

If you have self-employed earnings, these will not count towards the AET.

Find out more about  Universal Credit if you’re self-employed.

www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-and-earnings