You can help someone by: getting advice and information about their claim - you need to have a genuine connection to the person claiming benefits, for example if they’re your family member, friend or neighbour, or you’re helping them as part of your job managing their claim for them - you’ll need to have ‘written authority’ to do this, or have the person claiming benefits with you when you call a helpline This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg) .

Get advice and information about someone’s claim

How you can get advice and information depends on the benefits being claimed. For: Universal Credit - you must get the person claiming to follow the ‘explicit consent’ process Child Benefit - use the Child Benefit authorisation service tax credits - use the tax credit authorisation service any other benefits - use the ‘alternative enquiry’ service What you can use the alternative enquiry service for You can find out certain information about someone else’s benefit claim, like: what stage a claim has reached why and how a decision has been made about a claim how the value of a claim has been calculated what future action will be taken about a claim what the next steps are for the person with the claim You can also tell the helpline about a change in the person’s living situation, for example if they go into hospital. DWP will look into any changes before updating a claim. What you cannot use the service for You cannot get personal information about the person claiming benefits, like their: address date of birth bank and building society account details National Insurance number telephone number You also cannot use the service to manage someone’s benefit claim, like appealing a decision on their behalf or ending their claim. Who can use the service Anyone with a genuine connection to the person claiming benefits can use the alternative enquiry service. That includes if you’re calling: on behalf of a family member or friend as part of your job, for example if you’re a social worker, nurse or doctor or you work for an advice or welfare rights organisation How to use the service Who you call depends on the benefit. For: Attendance Allowance - contact the Attendance Allowance helpline at the Disability Service Centre Disability Living Allowance - contact the Disability Living Allowance helpline at the Disability Service Centre State Pension - contact the Pension Service Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - contact the PIP enquiry line all other benefits (apart from Universal Credit, Child Benefit and tax credits) - contact Jobcentre Plus Say that you’re looking for an alternative enquiry into someone else’s benefit claim. The call handler will check you have a genuine connection to the person claiming benefits. That might involve asking you questions about: the personal details of that person the details of that person’s benefit claim your telephone number or email address, if you’re calling as part of your job or on behalf of an organisation They may also contact the person claiming benefits to check they’re happy for you to use the service. If you’re able to prove your genuine connection The call handler will be able to help you. If you want to use the service again on a later call, you may need to repeat the checks. If you’re unable to prove your genuine connection You will not be able to use the service. The call handler may suggest other ways you can help the person with their claim.

Manage someone's claim for them

You can manage someone’s claim for them if you have ‘written authority’. This includes: having a lasting power of attorney (LPA) or an enduring power of attorney (EPA) for the person claiming benefits being a deputy for the person claiming benefits being an appointee for the person claiming benefits You can help them with any type of benefit claim. You’ll be able to do things like appealing a decision on their behalf or ending their claim. If you do not have written authority You can still manage a claim by calling the helpline for the benefit. The person claiming the benefit will need to be with you when you call to complete security checks and agree to any decisions. Which helpline you use depends on the benefit. For: Universal Credit - contact the Universal Credit helpline Attendance Allowance - contact the Attendance Allowance helpline at the Disability Service Centre Disability Living Allowance - contact the Disability Living Allowance helpline at the Disability Service Centre State Pension - contact the Pension Service Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - contact the PIP enquiry line Child Benefit - contact the Child Benefit enquiries line tax credits - contact the tax credits general enquiries line all other benefits - contact Jobcentre Plus

Help someone with their benefit claim

Overview

You can help someone by:

getting advice and information about their claim - you need to have a genuine connection to the person claiming benefits, for example if they’re your family member, friend or neighbour, or you’re helping them as part of your job
managing their claim for them - you’ll need to have ‘written authority’ to do this, or have the person claiming benefits with you when you call a helpline

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

View a printable version of the whole guide

Help someone with their benefit claim

Overview

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Help someone with their benefit claim

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