Universal Credit

Claims for Universal Credit have to be made online. To claim, click here. Claims can be made on a computer, laptop or mobile device.

• Access to the Internet through a computer, laptop, tablet or even a smartphone – if you do not have access and/or are not sure how to use the Internet (Note these options below may not be available currently due to covid-19):
  • You can attend your local Job Centre to make a claim (click here to find out where you local office is)
  • Most libraries allow some free Internet access (they may not be able to support you with the claim form)
• A valid email address – many email providers provide free accounts, we recommend you search online. If you have difficulty with this, get in touch with one of our Welfare Benefit Advisor who could help you while making the claim.
• Bank account or credit union account.
  • If you do not have an account, click here for advice on choosing and opening one.
  • If you are unable to open any sort of account where you can receive payment, then you may be able to use the PayPoint Payment Exception Service instead.
  • Some people may be using Post Office Card Accounts, however, these are no longer accepting new applicants and will stop for current users by November 2021.
• Details for your claim, which could include (for you and your partner if you have one):
  • Your national insurance number(s)
  • Details of your housing, including your address, type of accommodation, how much it costs, and who your landlord is and how to contact them
  • Details about your income, such as earnings, self-employment and other benefits you claim and any other income
  • Details of your savings and investments
  • Child Benefit reference numbers
  • Childcare costs – how much and who your provider is
  • Details of your ID – especially if you choose to verify your ID online as part of the claim
  • Bank account details so they know how to pay you

• Once you complete your claim, you will be expected to make an appointment at your local Jobcentre. If you fail to make and attend the appointment your claim may be closed.
  (Note that due to covid-19 the requirement to attend your local Jobcentre has been lifted – instead expect a phone call from your work coach)
• You (and your partner) will be expected to agree to a claimant commitment, setting out what you agree to do in order to receive the benefit.
  
  • This could range from searching for work full-time, to nothing, depending on your circumstances.
  • It is important you are clear to the ‘work coach’ about your abilities and responsibilities so you are not set unrealistic expectations
• If you do not meet the expectations placed upon you, your Universal Credit could be reduced or stopped.

A Universal Credit award can include any of the following that apply to you:

• Help with housing costs which will be paid directly to you
• Basic money for you (and your partner if you have one)
• Money for children
• Extra money for children if they are disabled
• Extra money for your or your partner if you are unable to work
• Money to help with childcare costs

Universal Credit does NOT include help with council tax, which you still need to claim help for from your local council

Universal Credit is paid differently to other benefits, which will affect the way you manage your money.

• Universal Credit is paid monthly
• The first payment is not made until a month and a week after submitting a claim, i.e. it could be over five weeks before you get a payment
• After your first payment, your future payments will be paid on that date of the month every month
• If you feel unable to wait for your first payment, you can ask for an advance of Universal Credit by talking to your work coach or by calling 0800 328 5644. Note: this is a loan that you have to pay back within 12 months
• Help to pay for rent (the equivalent of Housing Benefit) is normally paid directly to you as part of your monthly Universal Credit payment, so it will be yourresponsibility to pay the whole rent from your benefit.
  • The DWP does make an exception for those who have two months’ rent arrears or who meet vulnerability criteria listed here. If you think these apply to you, please contact us.
  • It is also your responsibility to report any changes in your rent to Universal Credit  (click here for more information on this)

At present no-one is being forced to claim Universal Credit instead of another benefit they are already getting, although the government do plan to do this in future. A trial was planned in the Harrogate area in Yorkshire from July 2019 but was suspended due to the covid-19 pandemic.

However, if you have a change of circumstances that means you need to make a new claim for benefits due to a lack of income and savings, whether or not you claimed any benefits before, and you have not yet reached your state retirement age, then you are likely to need to claim Universal Credit instead. This is called the ‘natural migration’.

There are a few exceptions:

Housing Benefit: If you move address but are still able to claim Housing Benefit from the same Local Authority/Council, you only need to report a change of circumstances to that Local Authority/Council rather than make a new claim for benefit. If you move across a council border however you will normally need to claim Universal Credit for help with your new rent.

Pensioners: You cannot claim Universal Credit if you have reached your state retirement age. However, if you are part of a couple and your partner has not reached their state retirement age yet then you will still have to claim Universal Credit.

Severe Disability Premium: You should not claim Universal Credit if you currently receive a ‘Severe Disability Premium’ on a current benefit claim, or have done so within the last month. This is an extra £66.95 per week which forms part of a wider benefit award for people who receive a disability benefit related to their care needs, do not have someone who cares for them while claiming Carer’s Allowance and does not live with anyone else except children or other disabled people. This is because there is currently no equivalent amount on Universal Credit meaning most people end up worse off by claiming Universal Credit. People this applies to have to still claim the appropriate benefits Universal Credit replaces instead.

From 27 January 2021 the above will no longer apply, and even those entitled to a Severe Disability Premium on other benefits will not be able to make a claim for legacy benefits and may therefore have to claim Universal Credit instead.

Many people miss out on the Severe Disability Premium because they do not realise they should qualify. Contact us for advice if you think it should apply to you.

Tax Credits claimants: If you are entitled to either Child or Working Tax Credits and your situation changes such that you should qualify for the other, then you should report this as a change of circumstances to the Tax Credit office at HMRC instead of claiming Universal Credit. For example, if you claim Working Tax Credit and you give birth to or adopt a child, you can still get Child Tax Credits added on to your claim. If you start work and already get Child Tax Credits, you can get Working Tax Credits added on to your claim, including help with childcare costs. However, if your Tax Credits ends due to a relationship with a partner starting or ending, then you cannot make a new claim for Tax Credits and will have to consider claiming Universal Credit instead.

For further advice on any of this please contact our Customer Services Team on 0300 123 5544 and ask for our Benefits Advice team.

Find out more about Universal Credit here. To find out how ready you are and what you need to do to prepare, take this short questionnaire.

For advice about opening a bank account, click here.

For help to get online and learn how to use computers, contact Customer Services

For help to work out how to manage your money on Universal Credit, you could try the Money Advice Service’s Money Manager tool. You could also try their Budget Planner and take a look at their guide for paying rent on Universal Credit. See above the Money Advice Service’s useful video about preparing for Universal Credit:

The DWP has introduced Freephone numbers for Universal Credit:

You can contact Universal Credit via their Freephone number 0800 328 5644. If you have an active claim for Universal Credit you can also contact them via your online account journal.

We can help you with:

• Confirming whether you should be able to claim
• Making a claim online for Universal Credit and assisting with any future queries
• Checking your claim is paying the correct amount
• Checking whether you are entitled to any other benefits and helping you make a claim
• Setting up a direct debit to pay your rent
• Setting out a personal budget plan
• Managing your debts through our Money Advice service

Please contact our Benefits Advice teams for further advice and support

It is your responsibility to promptly report any changes of circumstances that might affect your claim to Universal Credit, preferably on the day it happens or as close to this as possible afterwards. You can do this by reporting it through your online account, or by calling the Universal Credit helpline.

The most common types of changes you will need to report is (list this is not exhaustive):

• Changes to your rent (click here for more information on this)
• Changes to your income (however if you are paid earnings via the PAYE system the DWP should receive these automatically)
• Changes to your household (for example someone leaving home or the birth of a baby)
• Changes to your contact details
• Changes to your ability to look for work (for example you become ill or start to have caring responsibilities)

If you are not sure if you need to report a change, contact us for advice from one of our Welfare Benefits Advisors.