How does Universal Credit work if I'm a self-employed tradesperson?

How does Universal Credit work if I'm a self-employed tradesperson? You report takings and costs every month. If your trade is your main work, Universal Credit may assume a minimum income floor, built from the minimum wage: £12.71 an hour for those aged 21 and over from April 2026. Yes. DWP says you must report your business income and expenses each month, even if you had no income or expenses, and your payment is not made until you have reported. It is an assumed level of earnings, based on what an employed person in your situation would earn at the minimum wage after tax and National Insurance. If you are gainfully self-employed and earn less, Universal Credit is worked out as if you earned the floor. Not if you get a start-up period. That lasts up to 12 months, and during it your actual monthly earnings are used. You only get one, unless it has been more than 5 years and you start a different trade. Read the full answer, with every source, at rightotax.co.uk.