Universal Credit
You may be due Universal Credit, if you’re on a low income or out of work
Universal Credit is a monthly payment to help with your living costs
It replaces a lot of existing benefits: Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance and Working Tax Credit.
It's being introduced in stages across the UK. You don't need to do anything until you hear from the Department for Work and Pensions about moving to Universal Credit, unless you have a change in circumstances.
Take a look at our Universal Credit booklet for helpful information about making a claim.
Universal Credit
- You'll be paid once a month into your bank. This includes your rent money - you'll need a bank account and have to make arrangements to pay all of your rent. Click here for the easiest ways to pay your rent
- You’ll have to wait 1 month 7 days for your first payment - and most of your benefits being replaced will stop immediately (apart from Housing Benefit which should run for a further 2 weeks). You can apply for an advance, but you have to pay this back over a 12 month period - phone 03456 004272 to apply
- You need to apply and manage your claim online - contact us if you need help with the application or need support to improve your digital skills
- Remember to claim Council Tax Support - this isn't included in your Universal Credit payment. Claim through your council if you're eligible
- Are you Pension Credit age? If you're part of a couple and one of you is of pension age, you might be better off claiming Pension Credit instead of Universal Credit. If you’re unsure, get in touch
- To find out more, please visit www.gov.uk/universal-credit and www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk. or you can find a useful leaflet here
Before making a claim for Universal Credit, we’d recommend gathering the following information to make the online claim process easier. You’ll need to be able answer the following questions:
- What is you housing situation? (you’re renting from and paying rent to a housing association/social landlord)
- When did you move into this address?
- How much is your rent?
- How much are you service charges (are they eligible for Universal Credit)?
- How often do you pay your rent?
- Have you got any rent clear weeks?
- What is your landlord’s address? (VIVID, Peninsular House, Wharf Road, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO2 8HB).
During the application you’ll have to verify your identity. We’d encourage you to try to do this online as soon as possible – here’s a link to the verify page. But don't worry if you can't do this, there are other ways to verify your identity.
You’ll need to make sure you have the correct documents for when you need to make a claim for Universal Credit. Watch this helpful video for a list of documents that you’ll need.
We're here to help, so if you need any support or have any questions please get in touch.
News
Read our latest news articles on Universal Credit
More information
There's lots of helpful information and advice on www.gov.uk
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Shannon and Mary tell their stories
Shannon and Mary are two members of staff who also happen to be Universal Credit claimants. We've put together two short videos in which they talk about claiming UC and how we were able to help them with the process.
We can help if you're struggling with benefits
Get in touch straight away if you're struggling to pay your rent for any reason. It’s better to do it sooner, rather than later. A smaller debt is easier to solve than one that’s got out of control. You could lose your home if you don’t pay your rent. We can offer advice and support to get you back on track.
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