Assessment of Need
Also known as Applicable Amount, or in Universal Credit as Universal Credit Maximum Amount. This is the amount allowed for living expenses in the calculation of benefit entitlement. As such, it is the maximum possible award a person can receive given their circumstances before accounting for any income they may have. Different personal circumstances, such as a child, a disability, or if the claimant is a carer, add different amounts to the total applicable amount. The Assessment of Need is one half of the benefit entitlement calculation: see Income, for the other.