Frequently asked questions
What is Universal Credit?
Universal Credit is being introduced across the UK in stages. It will replace:
*Housing Benefit
*income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
*income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
*Child Tax Credit
*Working Tax Credit
*Income Support
Whether you should apply for Universal Credit instead of one of these benefits depends on where you live and your circumstances - check if you're eligible for Universal Credit.
Universal Credit works differently from other benefits - so if you're moving from another benefit it's important to know the differences. The biggest differences are:
*you can get Universal Credit if you're unemployed but also if you're working
*you'll usually get a single payment each month, rather than weekly or fortnightly
*instead of getting a separate housing benefit, your rent will usually be paid directly to you as part of your monthly Universal Credit payment
I am already in receipt of benefits, what changes will trigger a UC claim?
If you have a change of circumstances, you need to tell the DWP so you get the right amount of benefit.
If you live in a full service area, some changes of circumstances can mean you have to claim Universal Credit instead of your current benefits. You'll need to claim Universal Credit if a change would mean you had to make a new claim for your current benefits.
For example, you might be claiming Housing Benefit but then move to a different local authority in a full service area. Normally, this would mean you have to make a new Housing Benefit claim. As it's a new claim, you need to claim Universal Credit instead.
If you're in this situation, you might have to claim Universal Credit instead.
You usually can’t go back to claiming legacy benefits once you become entitled or once you claim Universal Credit and so we would encourage you to
contact us for advice before making the claim to make sure it is right for you.
How do I apply for Universal Credit?
You can only claim Universal Credit online - there’s no paper form.
Usually it’s best to apply for Universal Credit as soon as you can. That way you’ll get your first payment sooner.
If you’ve lost your job, it can be worth waiting until you get your final payment from work. If you apply before then, your last payment will reduce your first Universal Credit payment.
It can still be better to apply for Universal Credit straight away if you’d have to wait a long time for your last payment or if you don’t expect to be paid very much.
You usually can’t go back to claiming legacy benefits once you become entitled or once you claim Universal Credit and so we would encourage you to
contact our Help to Claim team for advice before making the claim to make sure it is right for you.
If you aren’t confident using the internet, contact us about help getting online. You might be able to apply by phone or in person instead of online. You’ll need to tell the DWP why you can’t apply online, for example if you have problems reading or writing.
You usually can’t go back to claiming legacy benefits once you become entitled to Universal Credit, unless you already live in or move to a postcode in a live service area. Get help from your local Citizens Advice if this applies to you
I'm already receiving Universal Credit, can you help me?
The Help to Claim team can assist you up until you have received you're first Universal Credit payment. We can also help with budgeting advice.
Should you have any issues with Universal Credit after you have received your first payment you can access help through our general advice service. You can find details of our advice services
here.
