Guidance

Universal Credit: Health conditions and disability guide

Updated 20 September 2024

Universal Credit is a monthly payment to help with your living costs. You may be able to get it if you’re on a low income, out of work or unable to work.

Your monthly payment is based on your circumstances, for example, your earnings or household income, housing costs and any health condition or disability you may have.

If you live in Northern Ireland, go to Universal Credit in Northern Ireland.

Find out if you’re eligible for Universal Credit.

1. If you have a health condition or disability when making a claim for Universal Credit

When you make a claim for Universal Credit you will be asked if you have a health condition or a disability which limits how much work you can do.

If your health condition or disability limits how much work you can do for longer than 28 days, you may need to have a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).

You may be referred for a WCA sooner if you’re:

• pregnant and there is a serious risk of damage to your health, or to the health of your unborn child if you do not refrain from work or work-related activity

• receiving or are about to receive treatment for cancer by way of chemotherapy or radiotherapy – or you are recovering from such treatment

• in hospital or a similar institution for 24 hours or longer

• prevented from working by law

• receiving treatment such as dialysis, plasmapheresis or total parenteral nutrition for gross impairment of enteric function or are recovering after receiving one of these types of treatment

1.1 Get help to make your Universal Credit claim

Help to Claim

Help to Claim is a confidential service provided by Citizens Advice. They will not share your personal information unless you agree.

You can get free support from trained advisers to make a Universal Credit claim. They can help you with things like online applications or preparing for your first jobcentre appointment.

• get Help to Claim if you live in England or Wales
• get Help to Claim if you live in Scotland

Call the Universal Credit helpline

You can call the Universal Credit helpline to ask about making a claim.

Calls to the Universal Credit helpline are free.

Contact Universal Credit

Ask another person or organisation to deal with your claim

You can ask another person or organisation to deal with your claim if you feel unable to:

• find the information you need

• understand things about your claim

• manage your own affairs

You can do this at any point during your claim.

Find out more about people acting on your behalf.

2. Declaring a health condition or disability on an existing Universal Credit claim

If you have already made a claim for Universal Credit, report a new health condition or disability as a change of circumstances.

Report your sickness in your online account.

3. Medical evidence such as fit notes

If you have a health condition or disability which limits how much work you can do, you can self-certify for the first 7 days of your illness. That means you do not have to provide medical evidence such as a fit note (also known as a sick note or statement of fitness for work).

You must get a fit note if your health condition or disability limits how much you can work for longer than 7 days.

You may not need to provide medical evidence such as fit notes, if you’re moving from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit.

Find out more about how to report your health condition or disability.

4. Your claimant commitment

To get Universal Credit you will need to agree with your work coach what activities you can do to prepare or look for work. Your work coach will take into account your health condition or disability when considering what to include in your claimant commitment.

If a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live, you will not need a claimant commitment.

5. Work Capability Assessment

If your health condition or disability limits how much work you can do for longer than 28 days you may need to have a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).

The WCA is used to find out how much your health condition or disability affects your ability to work. It assesses what you can do, as well as what you cannot do.

Find out more about what happens if you need a Work Capability Assessment when you report your health condition or disability.

Before your assessment, you’ll need to complete a Capability for Work questionnaire. This is called a UC50. This will be posted to you.

You may not need to have a WCA if you’re moving from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit.

6. Completing the Capability for Work (UC50) questionnaire

You can send copies of other medical information with the UC50, such as treatment plans or test results.

In some cases a decision can be made based on the information and evidence you send. If this happens, you will not need to have a WCA.

If you need help completing the Capability for Work (UC50) questionnaire, you can ask a friend, relative, carer or a support worker.

Or you can find and contact your health assessment provider. They can help you answer the questions.

See an example of a UC50 questionnaire. Do not complete the questionnaire until we ask you to.

7. After the WCA

If you have a WCA you’ll be sent a decision afterwards that says if you:

• are fit for work (also known as ‘capable for work’)
• have limited capability for work (LCW), but need to prepare to work in the future
• have limited capability for work and work related activity (LCWRA)

Find out more about what the decision means if you have a Work Capability Assessment.

8. How your WCA decision affects the amount of Universal Credit you get

If you get LCW you will not get any extra money unless all the following apply:

• you were receiving Universal Credit before 3 April 2017
• you were previously assessed as having LCW

In some circumstances you can also get LCW if you’re moving from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit.

If you get LCWRA, you may get extra money as well as your standard allowance of Universal Credit.

If you are part of a couple and your partner already receives an LCWRA payment, you will not receive the extra money.

8.1 If you care for someone

If you’re entitled to an extra amount of Universal Credit because you’re caring for someone, and are entitled to LCW or LCWRA, you will not get both amounts. You will receive the higher of those 2 amounts.

If you are part of a couple you can still get LCW or LCWRA even if your partner gets the carer’s payment.

8.2 LCWRA: when you’ll get extra money

If your WCA decision is LCWRA, you’ll usually get the extra money 3 monthly assessment periods after you started submitting medical evidence (such as fit notes) showing that your condition limits how much work you can do. 

There are instances where it can be added on straight away, for example if you have 12 months or less to live or if you’re moving from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit.

9. If you might have 12 months or less to live

If a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live, you:

• usually do not need to have a WCA
• do not need to have a claimant commitment
• get the additional amount for limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA)

If you tell us you might have 12 months or less to live when you claim Universal Credit, you will be asked if you would like Universal Credit to call you. In the call, we will explain more about:

• how to make your claim
• what documents you need

You do not have to have a call – you can choose to complete your claim online yourself.

9.1 Medical evidence to support your claim: SR1 form

You might be asked to provide evidence from your doctor, specialist nurse or other medical professional. This is called an SR1 form. This form provides information about your condition and treatment.

It’s likely that your doctor will send the form to DWP, but you or another representative can send it. The address is on the form.

Read what other benefits you can get if a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live.

10. Moving from Employment and Support Allowance to Universal Credit

If you have been receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), you will not need to provide medical evidence such as fit notes, or have a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) again if all of the following apply:

• you move from ESA to Universal Credit without a break
• you have already completed a WCA
• you were in the ‘support group’ or ‘work-related activity group’ in ESA when you made your claim to Universal Credit

You may need to have another WCA if your WCA is due for a review or your condition changes.

If you were providing medical evidence on ESA before you moved, you will still need to provide medical evidence on Universal Credit  until you get a WCA decision.

10.1 If you were in the support group in ESA

On Universal Credit you will get an extra amount for having limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) if both of the following apply:

• you move from ESA to Universal Credit without a break
• you were in the support group in ESA when you made your claim to Universal Credit

10.2 If you were in the work-related activity group in ESA

On Universal Credit you will get an extra amount for having limited capability for work (LCW) if all of the following apply:

• you move from ESA to Universal Credit without a break
• you were in the work-related activity group in ESA before 3 April 2017
• you continued to be in the work-related activity group in ESA when you claimed Universal Credit

Find out more about the 2017 changes to limited capability for work payments in Universal Credit.

11. Temporary period of sickness

If you become unwell for a short period of time, you can be treated as having a temporary period of sickness.

During the time that you’re treated as having a temporary period of sickness you do not have to be available for, or search for, work.

A temporary period of sickness can last for up to 14 days. You must provide medical evidence from the 8th day of your sickness.

You can be treated as having a temporary period of sickness twice in any 12 month period. If you have more than 2 temporary periods of sickness, you may need to be available for, and search for, work as agreed in your claimant commitment. If you are unable to, speak to your work coach.

If you have a fit note with a duration of 29 days or more, we may refer you for a WCA.

12. Change of circumstances

You must let Universal Credit know if:

• your condition has got better

• your condition has got worse

• you have a new health condition

• you have any other changes, such as finding a job or moving in with a partner

If you do not tell Universal Credit about these changes straight away you could be paid more or less money than you should. You may have to pay back any money you are overpaid.

You can report a change of circumstances by signing in to your account

13. Working and Universal Credit

If you feel able to, you can work and claim Universal Credit.

You may be able to get help from Access to Work if the help you need at work is not covered by your employer making reasonable adjustments.

An Access to Work grant can pay for:

• special equipment, adaptations or support worker services to help you do things like answer the phone or go to meetings

• help getting to and from work

14. Help with prescriptions and health care costs

If you receive Universal Credit you may be entitled to free prescriptions and other health care costs, such as dental care and sight tests.

You’re only entitled if your earnings during your last assessment period were:

• £435 or less

• £935 or less if your Universal Credit includes a payment for a child or limited capability for work

The last assessment period means the assessment period that ended immediately before the date you claim free prescriptions or health care costs.

If you claim Universal Credit as a couple, the earnings limit applies to the joint income of you and your partner. Your earnings are shown on your statement as ‘Your total take-home pay for this period’.

If neither you nor your partner work then your earnings will be £0.00.

15. Other financial support

If you receive Universal Credit you may also be able to get:

• Disabled Facilities Grants if you are disabled and need to make changes to your home, for example widening doors or installing ramps

• Healthy Start vouchers if you’re pregnant or have a child under 4 years old

Find out about other help you can get.

16. Other benefits you can claim

Use a benefits calculator to find out what other benefits you could get, for example Personal Independence Payment if you’re disabled or new style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

17. New style Employment and Support Allowance

You may be able to claim new style ESA if you have a fit note, have worked and paid or been credited with enough National Insurance Contributions.

New style ESA can be claimed instead of, or as well as, Universal Credit depending on your circumstances. If you claim both benefits your new style ESA payment will be deducted from your Universal Credit payment.

Apply for Universal Credit online.