Better Off Calculator | Policy in Practice | Benefits calculator and data analytics
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Better Off Calculator

Maximise your customers’ income

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Better Off Calculator benefits

3 million people each year benefit from the Better Off Calculator via GOV.UK or through our network of over 300 clients.

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How clients use the Better Off Calculator

Advisor
version

Advisors use the Better Off Calculator to deliver consistent, effective support to customers. Developed for casework, it enables teams to save and revisit cases, model changing circumstances and use visuals to support customer conversations.

Built-in impact reporting helps organisations track outcomes and demonstrate value.

Advisor

API
system integration

Our easy API allows seamless integration of income maximisation into organisations' existing customer journeys to build financial resilience.

Better Off Calculator integration

Universal
Housing Form

Housing providers combine affordability assessments, income maximisation and housing applications into one journey to improve tenancy sustainment and reduce arrears.

London-housing

Social tariff
modelling

Identify eligibility for utility discounts and model the impact of social tariffs alongside benefit entitlement and wider support.

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Customer self serve

Self serve calculators enable customers to check their own eligibility for benefits and support, either independently or in preparation for an advice session, reflecting “no wrong front door” and “tell us once” principles, while a 30-second quick check offers a simple starting point for those seeking an immediate indication of what support may be available.

Self serve support

Triage support

Advisors use the Better Off Calculator to securely refer clients to trusted partners, supporting advisor collaboration and seamless warm referrals and a smoother “tell us once” journey for residents.

Advisor

In-journey support

Live chat connects customers with expert benefits advisors in real time, combining digital self service with human support to improve engagement and completion rates.

Better Off Calculator Live Chat

Apply Once

Organisations use Apply Once to enable residents to apply for multiple support schemes through a single application, improving take-up while evidencing consistency and impact.

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Client case studies

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Nationwide unlocks over £1.2 million in unclaimed benefits for 2,200 people in four weeks

Nationwide unlocks over £1.2 million in unclaimed benefits for 2,200 people in four weeks

Innovating financial support: how Sovereign Network Group is tackling the cost of living crisis

Innovating financial support: how Sovereign Network Group is tackling the cost of living crisis

How integration helped British Gas Energy Trust reach those most in need

How integration helped British Gas Energy Trust reach those most in need

How Thames Water is using data to automatically enrol customers in need

How Thames Water is using data to automatically enrol customers in need

How South West Water used data to tackle water poverty and cut debt

How South West Water used data to tackle water poverty and cut debt

South Norfolk and Broadland Council streamline support for applications with Better Off Apply Once

South Norfolk and Broadland Council streamline support for applications with Better Off Apply Once

How targeted Discretionary Housing Payments reduced temporary accommodations at Redbridge Council

How targeted Discretionary Housing Payments reduced temporary accommodations at Redbridge Council

Scope finds over £134,000 in support for over 80 households with disabilities using the Better off Calculator

Scope finds over £134,000 in support for over 80 households with disabilities using the Better off Calculator

Maximus empowers 7,300 households and uncovers £4 million in benefits in one year

Maximus empowers 7,300 households and uncovers £4 million in benefits in one year

Anglian Water uses data to improve customer journeys and increase the take up of social tariffs

Anglian Water uses data to improve customer journeys and increase the take up of social tariffs

What our clients say

Reliable and trustworthy

Compared to other calculators on the market this one is reliable and can provide a comprehensive breakdown in simple terms.
Effective intervention

The Better Off Calculator has proved to be a valuable and reliable tool in supporting our work to maximise residents’ incomes and provide consistent, informed welfare advice. From a local authority perspective, it supports officers to quickly and accurately assess benefit entitlement, model changes in circumstances and identify unclaimed support, enabling earlier and more effective intervention.
Love it for our housing authority

I use policy and practice to support my clients who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. It is very accurate and allows us to create a realistic budget and prepare our clients in finding a private rented home.
Scenario comparison is great

The calculator helps people feel more informed and confident when discussing their options with council officers or support services, rather than feeling unsure or overwhelmed. The ability to look at “what if” scenarios is particularly helpful, as it allows residents to understand the impact of moving into work, changing hours or dealing with short‑term financial difficulties. This supports better decision‑making and helps residents plan next steps with greater clarity.
Excellent

This is a wonderful tool to support clients - It is used on a daily basis between myself and my colleagues. Thank you!
Large housing association

PiP work with us to make the tool look good for our customers, they are very responsive to our needs and add additional features if we need them. Their contacts with us are timely, accurate and very useful. Long may our relationship last.
Praise for the Better Off Calculator

The Better Off Calculator is easy to use and helps make a complex benefits system clearer. By asking straightforward questions, it helps residents understand what financial support they may be entitled to and how changes in their circumstances could affect their income. Residents value being able to see the information clearly laid out, including where they may be missing out on support.
Great piece of kit!

It's a simple-to-use tool that allows any user to break down their financial circumstances and compare them to other scenarios with just a few inputs. As an employment advisor I use this with all my participants to show how much better off each would be when in work against on benefits
Best benefits calculator on the market

This benefits calculator is the best one on the market. I've been a benefits advisor for over 40 years and I throughly recommend this product
Identifying millions in unclaimed support

I am a client of Policy in Practice and my Council promotes and makes use of their Better Off Calculator which has helped over a thousand residents to self serve and see how much benefits they may be missing out on equating to millions of ££. Councils can make use of limited resources whilst supporting residents to maximise their income.
Such a helpful benefits calculator

The tool is particularly helpful in providing a clear, structured overview of a household’s financial position, supporting informed decision‑making across a range of functions including benefits advice, discretionary support, homelessness prevention and wider financial resilience work.
Unlocking Opportunities

Policy in Practice's tool is designed to simplify welfare systems and help individuals understand their benefits and entitlements and empowering them to make informed decisions about work and benefits. It supports their journey toward employment and financial independence.
Front runners in all things Welfare Reform

My experience of working with Policy in Practice and using the Better Off Calculator to report on outcomes continues to be excellent. The company are true front runners in all things welfare reform and put residents and making policy relatable at the heart of what they do.
Praise for the Better Off Calculator

The calculator supports efficient working practices, saving officer time while improving the quality of engagement with residents. Overall, the Better Off Calculator is a well‑designed, practical tool that supports local authorities to deliver effective income maximisation, improve customer outcomes and strengthen preventative approaches to financial hardship.
Highly recommended to understand circumstances

As an Employment Advisor, I would recommend this tool to all my participants. They have found it extremely useful, as those that were really struggling found that they were entitled to other benefits. It helped those changing their circumstances to be able to understand what effect it would have on their Universal Credit.
Praise for the Better Off Calculator

Its ability to model different scenarios helps officers explain the impact of changes in work, income or household circumstances in a way that is transparent and easy to communicate. Importantly, the Better Off Calculator promotes a consistent and fair approach, reducing reliance on manual calculations and individual interpretation. This improves confidence in decision‑making and helps ensure residents receive accurate, up‑to‑date advice aligned with current policy.

The essentials

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Better Off Calculator

Sectors that use the Better Off Calculator

Better Off Calculator sectors
Better Off Calculator sectors

Better Off Calculator

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“The Better Off Calculator has been hugely central to our response to the various financial pressures on our tenants. Since January 2021 over £3.5 million in additional benefits has been generated through the calculator. There's also been £850,000 in extra income generated to rent accounts, reducing or wiping out rent arrears for some tenants.”

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Better Off Indicator

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“In the last year, we have engaged 1,342 households with our Better Off Calculator and we've seen a potential benefit increase of £1,661,886. Not only that, we have worked with Policy in Practice to integrate the Standard Financial Statement to align our income and expenditure with the wider financial services sector.”

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Better Off Apply Once

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“Our bespoke Benefits Calculator, developed with Policy in Practice, checks whether customers are claiming all the benefits their household is entitled to and assesses them for our discounted tariffs. Over the past year we’ve been able to signpost customers to more than £2.6 million of potential unclaimed benefits, and a total of £8.6 million since 2020. In some cases we know this assessment has helped customer to access more than £3,000 in benefits they didn’t realise they were entitled to.”

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Better Off Score

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“The scale of success is absolutely phenomenal. We got 95% of our clients identified with potential for extra benefits and support, which was significant. On average we've unlocked a life enhancing amount of £583 per household per month. Some of our clients have really complex situations and low incomes; that amount of money is life changing.”

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Integrations and partners

Partners seamlessly integrate our award winning benefits calculator into their existing solutions such as self serve portals, income and expenditure forms, CRMs and debt platforms. This enables financial services organisations to better support customers with income maximisation, demonstrate compliance with FCA regulations and set themselves apart from competition in tenders where social value is an essential feature.

Speak to us to learn more about our existing integrations and partnerships

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Frequently asked questions

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