Universal Credit and you
This document gives an introduction to Universal Credit for people who are claiming it.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Documents
Details
This guide explains:
- your responsibilities while claiming Universal Credit
- sanctions you could face if you do not meet your responsibilities
- how, when and where Universal Credit is paid
- how you can be better off in work
- help to become self-employed
- help with childcare costs
- help with housing costs
Updates to this page
Last updated 4 November 2024 + show all updates
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Linked to new Recoverable Hardship Payments (RHPs) guidance.
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Added information on backdating claims.
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From 8 April 2024, the monthly work allowances are set at £404 if your Universal Credit includes housing support and £673 if you do not receive housing support.
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Added to new section: 'Phone calls from us': Our phone systems mean calls from us may display as 0800 numbers, or an unknown number. If you get a call from an unknown number following our message in your account please pick up, as it’s likely to be DWP. We will ensure that you know the call is genuine. There are scams preying on people, so do not share information if you’re not sure the call is from DWP. If you are in any doubt, ask the caller to post a specific form of words into your journal so you can be sure it’s us.
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If you get a sanction, you’ll remain entitled to Universal Credit. This means you’ll continue to get ‘passported’ benefits that only need an open Universal Credit claim.
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Added care leavers to the list of circumstances where a claimant's work-related requirements can be temporarily reduced or removed. Added: if you're in a couple and one of you does not meet their responsibilities you may receive a sanction to your joint payment.
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Updated with the latest benefit rates, effective from 10 April 2023.
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Updated with the latest Work Allowance rates, effective from 11 April 2022.
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People near the end of their life who have been told by a medical professional that they might have less than 12 months to live, do not need to make a Claimant Commitment and they will not be sanctioned. This has changed from 6 months.
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Added call outs to explain a change to the rules for claiming Universal Credit that mean if a medical professional has said you have less than 6 months to live, you will not need a Claimant Commitment or face sanctions.
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Updated the Universal Credit taper and Work Allowance rates.
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If you apply for a Universal Credit advance on or after 12 April 2021, the time you must usually pay back the advance has been extended from 12 to 24 months. The monthly work allowances have increased from £292 to £293 if your Universal Credit includes housing support and from £512 to £515 if you do not receive housing support.
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Updated table at 1.4 'Easements' to explain someone caring for a severely disabled person or people for 35 hours or more a week has no requirement to do any work-related activity.
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Updated English and Welsh 'Universal Credit and you' guides with new rates effective from 6 April 2020.
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New HTML version of 'Universal Credit and you' document published.
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Updated section 9 and 9.1 to reflect changes to higher level sanction length from 1,095 days (about 3 years) to 182 days (26 weeks).
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Updated section 6.1 on applying for an advance. You can now apply for an advance through your online account, by asking your Jobcentre Plus work coach or by calling the Universal Credit helpline. You will now need to verify your identity at a jobcentre first.
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Attachments updated to include information about easements (reducing or removing work-related requirements).
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Added information about 'Help to Claim'.
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Removed references to claiming Universal Credit by telephone.
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Removed references to Universal Credit telephone numbers.
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Removed references to Universal Credit full service and live service.
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Added Welsh 'Universal Credit and You' PDF.
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Updated guidance to reflect that new claims to Universal Credit can now be made by households with more than 2 children.
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Alternative payment arrangements information updated.
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Updated to show that Universal Credit is now available everywhere in Great Britain.
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Universal Credit live service telephone helpline opening hours changed to 9am to 4pm.
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Help to Save scheme information added and reporting changes content updated.
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Attachments updated to support the April budget changes.
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Removed references to waiting days - this is because the wait for payment has been reduced from 6 to 5 weeks.
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Universal Credit content updated with new information about advance payments.
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Revised due to the ongoing roll out of Universal Credit full service, this means live service areas stopped taking new claims from 1 January 2018.
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Revised Universal Credit helpline telephone numbers and information about hardship payments.
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First published.