At Connaught Law, our adequate maintenance calculator UK checks both family visa financial routes in one place — the standard £29,000 minimum income requirement, and the adequate maintenance test for sponsors receiving qualifying disability or carer's benefits — using the 2026/27 Income Support rates that caseworkers actually apply.
Adequate Maintenance Calculator 2026 – Requirements, Rates and Evidence
Most UK family visa applications must meet the £29,000 minimum income requirement — but where the sponsor receives a qualifying disability or carer's benefit, the Immigration Rules substitute a different test: the family's net weekly income after housing costs must be "adequate", meaning at least what an equivalent British family would receive on Income Support. Because that comparison is pegged to benefit rates, the threshold changes every April; the calculator below applies the 2026/27 figures.
The adequate maintenance route is often more achievable than £29,000 — a couple with two children needs £325.90 per week after housing — but it is unforgiving on evidence: decision-makers expect the calculation to be documented line by line. Use the calculator for the numbers, then check the evidence section for what the Home Office needs to see.
Free Adequate Maintenance Calculator Tool
Check the financial requirement for your UK family visa. Choose the standard income route, or the adequate maintenance route if your sponsor receives a qualifying disability or carer's benefit.
Your Financial Requirement Assessment
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Breakdown
Reform watch: the Migration Advisory Committee's June 2025 review recommended lowering the minimum income requirement to around £23,000–£25,000 and replacing the adequate maintenance test with simpler housing checks. No change has been implemented — the figures above are the rules in force — but check the current position before applying. This calculator is an initial assessment, not immigration advice.
Need certainty before you apply? Our UK family visa solicitors assess your evidence against Appendix FM-SE — see also our adequate maintenance guide, or contact us for a fixed-fee assessment.
When Adequate Maintenance Requirements Apply
Eligible Applications
The adequate maintenance test replaces the minimum income requirement where the sponsoring partner receives a qualifying disability or carer's benefit. It applies across the Appendix FM family route — first applications, extensions and settlement — and to dependent children applying with the main applicant. The test also applies to some other categories, including certain armed forces family applications, but the benefit-based route above is by far the most common.
Moving Between Routes
The route is assessed at each application. If the sponsor's qualifying benefit ends before an extension or settlement application, the family must normally meet the standard financial requirement instead — £29,000 for applications in today's regime, or £18,600 with child additions for those still on the pre-11 April 2024 route. Planning for that transition early matters: income and savings evidence has to cover specific periods before you apply.
How to Calculate Adequate Maintenance Requirements
Step-by-Step Calculation Method
The Five-Step Assessment
- Step 1 – Net weekly income: add up the household's weekly income after tax and National Insurance, including the sponsor's benefits, wages and any other permitted income
- Step 2 – Housing costs: establish the weekly rent or mortgage payment plus council tax
- Step 3 – Available income: deduct housing costs from net income
- Step 4 – Compare with Income Support: the result must equal or exceed what a British family of the same composition would receive on Income Support (current rates below)
- Step 5 – Document everything: present the calculation with supporting evidence for every figure
Income Support Comparison Rates 2026/27
| Family Composition | Weekly Rate 2026/27 | Annual Equivalent |
|---|
| Single person (over 25) / lone parent | £95.55 | £4,969 |
| Single person (18–24) | £75.65 | £3,934 |
| Couple (both over 18) | £150.15 | £7,808 |
| Couple + 1 child | £242.60 | £12,615 |
| Couple + 2 children | £325.90 | £16,947 |
| Couple + 3 children | £409.20 | £21,278 |
Child figures include a weekly child amount of £65.40 plus Child Benefit (£27.05 for the first child, £17.90 for each additional child). Rates are uprated every April and decision-makers apply the rates in force at the date of decision — so an application straddling April should be calculated against the new year's figures.
Qualifying Benefits and Financial Exemptions
The adequate maintenance route is only available where the sponsor receives one of the specified benefits listed in the Immigration Rules. Receipt of general means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit does not qualify on its own.
Specified Qualifying Benefits
- Disability benefits: Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Severe Disablement Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Carer's Allowance: where the sponsor cares for a disabled person for 35+ hours a week
- Armed forces: Armed Forces Independence Payment or Guaranteed Income Payment under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
- Veterans: Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension under the War Pensions Scheme
- Police: a Police Injury Pension
Evidence Requirements and Documentation
Adequate maintenance refusals are rarely about the arithmetic — they are about evidence gaps. Appendix FM-SE prescribes what must be provided and refusals follow when documents are missing, out of date or inconsistent with the figures claimed.
Essential Documentation Checklist
- Benefit award letters: current award notices for the qualifying benefit and any other benefits counted as income
- Bank statements: normally covering the six months before the application, showing income and benefit payments landing
- Income documentation: payslips and employer letters for any earnings alongside benefits
- Housing evidence: tenancy agreement or mortgage statement plus council tax bill, matching the housing costs deducted
- Calculation sheet: a clear worksheet showing net income, housing costs and the Income Support comparison for your family composition
- Accommodation adequacy: evidence the property is adequate without overcrowding — a linked but separate requirement
Our Adequate Maintenance Legal Services
Connaught Law's immigration team handles adequate maintenance applications end to end: confirming the qualifying benefit, building the calculation to caseworker standards, assembling Appendix FM-SE-compliant evidence, and managing the application through to decision — including extension and settlement strategy where benefit circumstances may change. Fees are fixed and quoted in advance, within the framework of the government's guideline hourly rates.
How We Help
- Eligibility assessment: route selection between adequate maintenance and the standard requirement, including borderline benefit cases
- Calculation verification: your figures tested against current rates before the Home Office tests them for you
- Evidence preparation: document checklists, gap analysis and FM-SE compliance review
- Application management: preparation, submission and caseworker correspondence through our UK family visa team
- Pre-submission check: already prepared your own application? Use our visa application checking service
For the legal background in depth, see our adequate maintenance spouse visa guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the adequate maintenance test determine financial requirements?
Your family's net weekly income after housing costs must equal or exceed what an equivalent British family would receive on Income Support. For 2026/27 that means £150.15 a week for a couple, rising to £325.90 for a couple with two children. All benefits received count as income, and housing costs means rent or mortgage plus council tax. The calculator above applies the current rates automatically.
Which benefits qualify for the adequate maintenance route?
The specified benefits include PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance, Severe Disablement Allowance, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, Carer's Allowance, Armed Forces Independence Payment or a Guaranteed Income Payment, Constant Attendance Allowance, Mobility Supplement or War Disablement Pension, and a Police Injury Pension. Universal Credit or other means-tested benefits alone do not open the route.
Can I use adequate maintenance for spouse visa extensions and settlement?
Yes — the test applies at every stage while the sponsor receives a qualifying benefit, including extensions and indefinite leave to remain. But eligibility is reassessed each time: if the benefit has ended by your next application, you will normally need to meet the standard financial requirement instead, so plan the transition well before your visa expires.
What housing costs do I deduct in the calculation?
Your weekly rent or mortgage payment plus council tax. Utilities, food and other living costs are not deducted — the Income Support comparison figure is deemed to cover those. Use the actual amounts you can evidence: the tenancy agreement or mortgage statement and council tax bill must match the figures in your calculation.
How accurate is the online calculator?
It applies the same Income Support comparison caseworkers use, at 2026/27 rates, so the arithmetic is reliable for typical cases. What it cannot judge is evidential strength — whether your documents prove each figure — or unusual situations such as third-party support, fluctuating earnings or shared housing costs. Treat a pass as the starting point for preparing evidence, not a guarantee.
What evidence do I need for an adequate maintenance application?
Current benefit award letters, roughly six months of bank statements showing income arriving, payslips for any earnings, your tenancy agreement or mortgage statement plus council tax bill, and a clear calculation sheet showing net income minus housing against the Income Support figure for your family. Missing or inconsistent documents are the most common reason these applications fail.
Are children included in the calculation?
Yes — each child raises the required threshold. For 2026/27 the first child adds £92.45 a week (a £65.40 child amount plus £27.05 Child Benefit) and each further child adds £83.30. A couple with two children therefore needs £325.90 net per week after housing. British or settled children in the household are counted in the family composition even though they are not applying.
Is adequate maintenance easier than the £29,000 requirement?
Usually the threshold is lower: £150.15 a week for a couple is roughly £7,800 a year after housing, against a £29,000 gross income requirement. But the evidential burden is heavier and less forgiving — the calculation must be proved line by line, and adequacy of accommodation is checked alongside it. Lower bar, stricter marking.
Expert Adequate Maintenance Legal Support
Free Calculator AssessmentInstant check against current 2026/27 rates for both family visa financial routes
Specialist Immigration ExpertiseQualifying benefit assessment, calculation verification and Appendix FM-SE evidence review
Complete Application SupportPreparation to decision, with extension and settlement strategy for changing benefit circumstances
A passing calculation is only as strong as the evidence behind it. Our immigration team turns your figures into an application the Home Office can grant.
Contact our family visa team at Connaught Law for a fixed-fee assessment of your adequate maintenance application.
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