Help to Claim Service Citizens Advice (England and Wales) and Citizens Advice Scotland provide a Help to Claim Service. To access this support, contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau.
Universal Credit
Universal Credit is there to help people of working age on low income with living costs. You can find out more about what it is, if you qualify and how to claim below.
What is Universal Credit?
Universal Credit is a means-tested benefit for people of working age on a low income, whether you are in work or not. It has replaced the following existing benefits, which are now known as “legacy benefits”:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Housing benefit
You can hear about Universal Credit and how to claim in our audio Q and A.
How can I make a claim?
People across the UK can make an online claim by visiting gov.uk/apply-universal-credit. This online system should meet the guidelines for accessibility and should work with magnification and screen reading technology.
If you cannot access the internet and make your claim online, or feel that you need more support to do this, there are other ways for you to make your claim:
If you are unable to claim online, you can make a telephone claim where a Universal Credit Case Manager will set up an account for you, record the data gathered, submit your claim and identify your claim as a phone claim on the system. Call the Universal Credit Helpline on 0800 328 5644 (Textphone 0800 328 1344) Welsh language 0800 328 1744 and explain why you cannot apply online.
If you require additional support, you can request access to the DWP Home Visiting Team. This is where the DWP would arrange for DWP staff or a “Local Service Support” to visit your home to complete the online form for you. To request a home visit, you can call the Universal Credit Helpline on 0800 328 5644 and explain why you need this service.
Universal Credit Further Information and Support
We’ve created a series of factsheets and toolkits to support you with making a claim, obtaining reasonable adjustments, requesting a backdate, preparing for agreeing your Claimant Commitment and what to expect from a work capability assessment.
For general information about Universal Credit, who can claim it, how much its worth, how to request an advance and how to appeal a decision, please see our factsheet:
Our toolkit, which includes template letters, provides guidance on how to make a claim and receive appropriate support and adjustments.
"Making a claim" toolkit (Word)
Complex needs notification letter template (Word)
Request support to claim letter template (Word)
Request for reasonable adjustments for the interview letter template (Word)
You can request to backdate the start of your Universal Credit claim for up to a maximum of one month if you can show that you were unable to claim sooner due to ill health, disability or if the system has failed, meaning you have been left out of pocket.
Our toolkit, which includes template letters, provides guidance on how to request backdating of your Universal Credit claim:
Request to backdate a claim toolkit (Word)
You must agree a Claimant Commitment in order to receive Universal Credit. If you fail to carry out the agreed actions, Jobcentre Plus may suspend your benefits. Use our top tips for signing your Claimant Commitment to ensure that your benefits are not suspended.
If you are claiming the work capability component of Universal Credit due to disability or illness you will undergo a medical test called the Work Capability Assessment.
Claimants in receipt of a Severe Disability Premium in their previous legacy benefit may be entitled to what is known as ‘transitional protection’ for this payment. This payment is a fixed-rate amount, dependent on your circumstances and will be included in the Universal Credit award to compensate for the loss of the SDP. There are now also transitionally protected payments for those who also received an Enhanced Disability Premium in their legacy benefit in addition to the SDP. Please note that these payments are only available to people who have received a SDP within their Income Support, JSA or ESA in the month before they claim Universal Credit and continue to meet the eligibility conditions.
For more information on how this change may affect you please get in touch to speak with a Sight Loss Adviser by calling our Helpline on 0303 123 9999.
You may have heard of the “under-occupancy charge” or “Bedroom tax”. This “tax” applies to both the housing element of UC and Housing Benefit (a separate legacy benefit that has been replaced by UC for working age claimants).
The bedroom tax is applied to people of working age who live in social. It means that you could receive a reduced amount of help with your rent costs, in the form of the UC housing element or Housing Benefit if your local council believe that you have more bedrooms than you need.
If the help you receive with rent is reduced because of “under-occupancy”, please speak to our benefits advisers if you want to talk through your options - this could include applying for discretionary housing payments from your local council. Call 0303 123 9999 or email [email protected].
Similarly, the local housing allowance limits the help you can get towards rent if you live in the private sector. The allowance is set depending on the area in which you live and the number of bedrooms you are considered to need. It applies to both the housing element of UC and Housing Benefit (a separate legacy benefit that has been replaced by UC for working age claimants).
If the help you receive with rent is reduced because of the local housing allowance rate, please speak to our benefits advisers if you want to talk through your options - this could include applying for discretionary housing payments from your local council. Call 0303 123 9999 or email [email protected].
