Ground 8 arrears calculator: check the 3-month / 13-week threshold

Received a notice citing this ground? Run the free Section 8 notice checker.

Why the threshold matters

Ground 8 is the mandatory rent arrears ground under Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988. The arrears threshold is only one condition among several: the notice, service, and other statutory gateways also have to be satisfied. If every applicable condition is proved, including the arrears threshold, the court has no discretion to refuse on the arrears point: there is no reasonableness test, unlike the discretionary Grounds 10 and 11. But meeting the arrears threshold alone does not decide the case; a defective notice or a service problem can still defeat Ground 8 even where the arrears figure is correct. That makes the exact figure worth checking carefully, but not the only thing worth checking.

The dual-date test

Ground 8 does not just look at one date. The arrears must be at or above the threshold when the notice was served and again at the court hearing. If you pay down the arrears below the threshold before the hearing, even by a small amount, Ground 8 fails entirely, regardless of what the arrears were at the notice date.

That defeats Ground 8 specifically. Arrears notices commonly also cite the discretionary Grounds 10 and 11 alongside Ground 8, and defeating the mandatory ground does not defeat those: a landlord who cited them too can still pursue possession on Ground 10 or 11 instead, and the court decides whether it is reasonable to grant it on the arrears history and the facts at the hearing.

This calculator checks a single snapshot: the figures you enter today. Re-run it closer to any hearing date with an updated arrears figure to see whether the position has changed.

The Universal Credit disregard

For a notice served on or after 1 May 2026, Ground 8 must disregard an amount unpaid only because you have not yet received the housing element (an amount for housing as part of an award of universal credit) you are entitled to. If leaving that amount out of the calculation brings the arrears below the threshold, Ground 8 is not made out. This disregard is specific to that housing element of Universal Credit; ordinary Housing Benefit delay does not use it, and it does not apply to a saved notice served before 1 May 2026.

This is narrower than "any Universal Credit you are owed". It is only the housing-element part of your current arrears that is unpaid solely because the entitled payment has not arrived. If arrears would exist even without the delay, for example because a different payment was missed, or the pending amount relates to a different period, that part does not qualify and should not be entered into the calculator.

Rent periods this calculator can verify

The calculator computes a threshold for weekly, fortnightly, and monthly rent, matching the periods the live Section 8 checker's threshold table covers. Before the 1 May 2026 reform, Schedule 2 Ground 8 had separate statutory wording for four-weekly, quarterly, and yearly rent; this codebase does not compute a figure for those legacy limbs, so rather than guess, the calculator states plainly that it cannot verify the threshold for those periods and points you to the Section 8 checker or Shelter for advice.

What to do next

This calculator only checks the arrears figure. A Section 8 notice can also be defeated by problems with the form, the notice period, service, or a disrepair counterclaim that reduces the real arrears figure. Run the free Section 8 checker for a fuller statute-backed assessment of your notice, or unlock the full report for a detailed defence strategy and downloadable PDF.

Common questions

How does the Ground 8 arrears calculator work?

Enter your rent amount and how often you pay it, your current arrears, whether the Section 8 notice was served on or after 1 May 2026, and (if it applies) how much of your current arrears is unpaid only because the housing element of an entitled Universal Credit award has not yet arrived. The calculator applies the same statutory threshold function used by the free Section 8 checker: 3 months' rent (13 weeks for weekly or fortnightly rent) for a notice served on or after 1 May 2026, or 2 months (8 weeks) for an earlier notice. It then shows whether your arrears meet that threshold, before and after the Universal Credit disregard.

What is the Ground 8 arrears threshold in 2026?

For a Section 8 notice served on or after 1 May 2026, Ground 8 requires at least 3 months' rent arrears for a monthly tenancy, or 13 weeks' arrears for a weekly or fortnightly tenancy. For a notice served before 1 May 2026, the legacy threshold applies: 2 months, or 8 weeks.

Does the calculator cover four-weekly, quarterly, or yearly rent?

No, not yet. Before the 1 May 2026 reform, Schedule 2 Ground 8 had separate wording for quarterly and yearly rent; this codebase's checker does not compute a threshold for those legacy limbs, so rather than guess, the calculator tells you it cannot verify the threshold for those periods. Use the Section 8 checker or get advice from Shelter (0808 800 4444) if your rent is charged quarterly, yearly, or four-weekly.

What does the Universal Credit disregard do to the calculation?

For a notice served on or after 1 May 2026, an amount unpaid only because you have not yet received the housing element - an amount for housing as part of an award of universal credit - you are entitled to must be disregarded from the arrears figure. This is not your whole pending Universal Credit award: it is only the housing-element part of the current arrears that is unpaid solely for that reason. If some of the arrears would exist anyway - for example you also missed a payment for another reason - do not include that portion. The calculator subtracts the qualifying amount you enter from your current arrears (never below £0) and shows both the raw and the adjusted result. This disregard does not apply to a saved notice served before 1 May 2026, and it is specific to that housing element of Universal Credit, not general Housing Benefit delay.

Does meeting the threshold at notice mean the eviction will succeed?

No. Ground 8 requires the arrears to be at or above the threshold on two separate dates: when the notice was served, and again at the court hearing. If you reduce the arrears below the threshold before the hearing, even by a small amount, Ground 8 fails, regardless of the figures at the notice date. This calculator checks one point in time that you enter; recalculate closer to the hearing date to see whether the position has changed.

Is this calculator legal advice?

No. This is a general information tool based on Schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988, as amended by the Renters' Rights Act 2025. It is not legal advice and does not review your notice, tenancy, or rent account for other defects. For a fuller statute-backed assessment of your specific Section 8 notice, run the free Section 8 checker. If you have court papers or a hearing date, get urgent advice from Shelter (0808 800 4444) or Citizens Advice.

Use the interactive checker on getrentersrights.com for the full step-by-step result.