Universal Credit is a monthly payment to help working-age households with living costs for those on a low income, out of work or cannot work. It is administered and paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and replaces the following benefits:
- Child Tax Credit
- Income Support
- Income based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income based Employment and Support Allowance
- Working Tax Credit
- Housing Benefit.
If you receive any of these benefits or tax credits, you will need to notify us/DWP of a change in your circumstances. If you receive a migration notice telling you that you must claim Universal Credit, you must move to Universal Credit within 3 months to keep getting financial support.
If you or your partner gets Pension Credit, this will also stop if one of you claims Universal Credit. You’ll continue to get other benefits you already receive such as Personal Independence Payments (PIP) or Carer’s Allowance.
Important: please read carefully before making your claim
You may have to claim Universal Credit instead of Housing Benefit (external link) for help towards paying your rent.
You can only make a claim for Housing Benefit (external link) if one of the following applies:
- You live in supported or exempt accommodation
- You live in temporary accommodation
- You or your partner are pension-age – however it depends on your circumstances, find out more on mixed aged couples.
If you do not fall into any of the above categories, you need to claim Universal Credit (external link) instead.
If you receive Universal Credit you need to report changes in your circumstances to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to ensure you keep getting the right amount each month. Your claim may be stopped or reduced if you do not tell the DWP straight away of any changes. To report a change sign into your Universal Credit account (external link).
Please note: Universal Credit does not include help towards Council Tax or free school meals. If you need help you can apply for Council Tax Reduction and free school meals separately.
Eligibility
You may be able to get Universal Credit if:
- You're on a low income or out of work
- You're 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 or 17)
- Be under State Pension age (external link)
- Have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments.
The number of children you have does not affect your eligibility for Universal Credit, but it may affect the payments you receive.
Use a benefits calculator (external link) to check what benefits you could get if you're not eligible for Universal Credit.
If you live with your partner
You will need to make a joint claim for your household, even if your partner is not eligible. Your partner's income and savings will be taken into account.
If you live with a partner and one of you has reached State Pension age, you can still claim Universal Credit. You and your partner can make this claim as a couple. Your Universal Credit 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 the benefits calculator (external link).
If you're 16 or 17 years old
You can make a Universal Credit claim if any of the following apply:
- You have a health condition or disability and have medical evidence for it, such as a fit note
- You’re caring for someone who gets health or disability related benefits
- You're responsible for a child
- You live with your partner, have responsibility for a child and your partner is eligible for Universal Credit
- You're pregnant and expecting a baby in the next 11 weeks
- You've had a baby in the last 15 weeks
- You do not have parental support, for example, you do not live with your parents and you're not under local authority care.
If you're in training or studying full time
You can make a Universal Credit claim if you're in full time education and any of the following apply:
- You live with your partner and they're eligible for Universal Credit
- You're responsible for a child, either as a single person or a couple
- You've reached State Pension (external link) age and live with a partner who is below State Pension age
- You're disabled and have been assessed as having limited capability for work before starting your course and you are entitled to either Disability Living Allowance (DLA); Personal Independence Payment (PIP); Attendance Allowance or Armed Forces Independence Payment
- You're 21 or under, studying any qualification up to A level or equivalent and do not have parental support.
You may be able to claim if you are studying part-time or doing a course for which no student loan or finance is available.
Guidance about claiming Universal Credit as a student (external link).
If you've reached Pension Credit qualifying age
You can only claim if you live with a partner who is eligible for Universal Credit and under Pension Credit qualifying age (external link). You will have to make a joint claim.
Mixed aged couples
A mixed age couple is where one person is pension age and the other is working age.
Both parties of a couple will have to reach the Pension Credit qualifying age before they can be entitled to Pension Credit and/or pension age Housing Benefit.
To find out more visit our mixed aged couples page.
How to apply for Universal Credit
You can make a claim for Universal Credit online (external link). If you need help to do this, you can call the free Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.
Help to Claim?
Citizens Advice also offer a Help to Claim service.
Advisers can help:
- work out if you can get Universal Credit
- fill in the Universal Credit application
- prepare for your first Jobcentre appointment
- check your first payment is correct.
You can access Help to Claim:
By phone: Call (freephone) 0800 144 8444 to speak to a trained adviser over the phone
By Webchat: Chat with an adviser online (external link).