What Universal Credit is

Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs. It’s paid monthly (once a month). This may differ from previous benefits which were paid at different intervals.

You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income, out of work or you cannot work.

If you already get other benefits

Universal Credit is replacing the following benefits and tax credits:

• Child Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Working Tax Credit

If you’re getting any of these benefits or tax credits, you do not need to do anything unless either:

• your circumstances change
• you get a letter called a ‘Migration Notice’ telling you that you must claim Universal Credit

If you get a Migration Notice, you must move to Universal Credit within 3 months to keep getting financial support.

You’ll stop getting these benefits and tax credits when you or your partner claim Universal Credit. If you or your partner gets Pension Credit, this will also stop if one of you claims Universal Credit.

You’ll continue getting any other benefits you already receive, such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Carer’s Allowance.

If you get certain other benefits at the same time as Universal Credit, the amount of Universal Credit you receive will be reduced.

Eligibility

You may be able to get Universal Credit if you’re on a low income or need help with your living costs. You could be:

• out of work
• working (including self-employed or part time)
• unable to work, for example because of a health condition

To claim you must:

• live in the UK
• be aged 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you’re 16 to 17)
• be under State Pension age
• have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments

There are different eligibility rules if you’ve received a Migration Notice letter telling you to claim Universal Credit.

You can use a benefits calculator to check what benefits you could get: https://www.entitledto.co.uk/

If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen

You and your family might also need settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to get Universal Credit.

If you live with your partner

You will both need to claim for Universal Credit. You must make a joint claim for your household, even if your partner is not eligible. How much you can get will depend on your partner’s income and savings, as well as your own.

If only one of you has reached State Pension age, you and your partner can still claim Universal Credit as a couple. Your Universal Credit claim will stop when you both reach State Pension age.

If you’re getting Pension Credit, it will stop if you or your partner make a claim for Universal Credit. You’ll usually be better off staying on Pension Credit.  You can check using a benefits calculator.

What to do in a financial emergency:

Advance Payment: You can apply for this if you need help to pay your bills or cover other costs while you wait for your first Universal Credit payment. You pay the advance back from your Universal Credit payments over the next 24 months. Details of how to apply for this: https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit/get-an-advance-first-payment

Hardship Payment: If you have been sanctioned or issued a fraud penalty, a hardship payment could be issued to cover accommodation, heating, food or clothing. To apply for this, go to your Universal Credit Online Account, contact your local job centre or the Universal Credit helpline.
Universal Credit helpline
Telephone: 0800 328 5644
Textphone: 0800 328 1344
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 328 5644

Other financial support: There are other types of support which may still be available to you under Universal Credit including Discretionary Housing Payments, Council Tax Reductions and various grants and one-off payments for specific purposes. More details of this here: https://www.gov.uk/check-benefits-financial-support

Split payments: For couples the money will all be paid to one of you as default. You can request split payments in exceptional circumstances such as domestic violence or if your partner is not using the money for the household’s needs. To do this you should contact your job centre directly or call the Universal Credit helpline: Telephone: 0800 328 5644
Textphone: 0800 328 1344
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 328 5644