How do I apply for universal credit and how much is it? Key advice for benefits claimants
Take a look at our guide on how to apply for universal credit, finding out if you're eligible for the DWP benefit, and navigating the application process.
The unemployment rate in the UK has gone up again, according to recently released figures.
Unemployment rose by 4.4% in the three months to November, up from 4.3% in the three months to October. Added to this, vacancies dropped by another 24,000 in the three months to December, with 812,000 jobs available.
With that in mind, an increasing number of people may need additional financial support to help pay their bills, rent, or keep up with living costs.
Make sure you're in the know by reading our guide on claiming universal credit below.
❓ What is universal credit?
Universal credit is a type of benefit that helps you with your living costs. It is paid once a month, or twice a month if you are in Scotland.
It is the most common benefit people claim in the UK. About 6.4 million people receive the payments. It is also replacing a lot of other benefits.
By the end of this year, every 'legacy benefit' — ie. a benefit that is not universal credit — will be moved to universal credit.
✅ Am I eligible for universal credit?
You can be eligible for universal credit whether you have a job or not. If you have a job, it depends on how much you earn.
To receive universal credit, you must:
Live in the UK
Be aged 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you're 16 to 17)
Be under state pension age
Have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments
The government says that if you live with your partner, both of your incomes will be taken into account when you make a universal credit claim.
Additionally, if only one of you has reached state pension age and the other has not, you and your partner can still claim universal credit as a couple.
If you have a health condition that affects your ability to work, you might get extra money for universal credit.
💰 How much money will I get?
The easiest way to check is through a benefits calculator like this one.
As well as the government's benefits calculator, Turn2Us also has a benefits calculator available to check. The charity said three million people have used its calculator so far.
The monthly standard rates for universal credit can be seen below.
If you’re single and under 25 - £311.68
If you’re single and 25 or over - £393.45
If you live with your partner and you’re both under 25 - £489.23 (for you both)
If you live with your partner and either of you are 25 or over - £617.60 (for you both)
You may get a top-up on these amounts if you have children. However, that additional financial support is only available for your first and second child. This two-child benefit limit was introduced by the Conservative government in 2017. Labour has come under pressure to remove the cap, but had not done so by January 2025.
However, if you have a disabled child, you will get extra financial support no matter how many children you have.
This is:
£156.11 if you get the lower rate
£487.58 if you get the higher rate
You can also claim back childcare costs if you receive universal credit and you are working. This can be up to 85% of the total. However, you are exempt if either you or your partner cannot work because of a disability or health condition.
The most you can get each month is:
£1,014.63 for one child
£1,739.37 for 2 or more children
If you are a carer for someone, you can also receive up to £198.31 a month extra. This is known as a carer's allowance.
More information on additional payments can be found here.
💻 How do I apply for universal credit?
You can apply for universal credit by:
If you cannot claim online, phone the universal credit helpline Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm on 0800 328 5644
To apply, you need:
Your bank, building society or credit union account details
An email address
Access to a phone
If you do not have these, you can call the universal credit helpline or go to a job centre. You can also get support from the Citizens Advice help to claim service. This service is fully confidential.
You will also need a document to prove your identity. This can be:
A driving licence
Passport
Debit or credit card
Payslip or P60
To complete your claim, you will be asked for the following information:
Your housing, for example how much rent you pay
Your earnings, for example payslips
Your national insurance number, if you have one
Other benefits you get
Any disability or health condition that affects your work
How much you pay for childcare if you want help with childcare costs
Your savings and any investments, like shares or a property that you rent out
A member of the universal credit team might ring you to ask some questions about your application. They might arrange an appointment in a job centre or over the phone.
Bear in mind that your tax credits will stop as soon as you claim universal credit. If you're getting council tax support, you might need to renew your claim. Any other benefits you get will keep being paid.
💷 Getting money taken off
While people can claim universal credit, your monthly payments might be reduced for the following reasons:
You are paying back an advance on a universal credit payment
You would get above the amount limited by the benefit cap
You’ve been overpaid benefits in the past
You owe money for council tax, court fines, electricity, gas, water or child maintenance
You pay your gas or electricity bill directly from your universal credit payment
You have a paid job
You have other income – for example, money from pensions or certain other benefits
You have more than £6,000 in money, savings and investments, with a total cut off at £16,000
❗ Remember
If you are in work and are paid four-weekly instead of monthly, your universal credit payments will be affected during the month you are paid twice.
This is because universal credit is calculated based on your circumstances each month. These are called your ‘assessment periods’. You’ll usually get your universal credit payment seven days after each monthly assessment period ends. During the month you are paid twice, your payments for that month will be reduced.
You need to inform the universal credit office as soon as possible that your universal credit claim will continue.
⏰ When will I get my first universal credit payment?
It's worth bearing in mind that you won't receive your first universal credit payment for five weeks. You can apply for an advance on your first payment, but you will need to pay it back.
However, if you are getting one of the following benefits at the time you make universal credit, you will receive two weeks of payments from the day after you make your claim.
Housing benefit
Income support
Income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)
Income-based jobseeker's allowance (JSA)
➡️ What if I'm being moved onto universal credit from another benefit?
If you were receiving another benefit and you are transferred — known as 'migration' — to universal credit, follow the instructions you receive in your migration notice letter.
❌ What if my universal credit application has been rejected and I don't think I've been paid enough?
If you think a decision made about your universal credit entitlement is wrong, you can contact DWP and ask them to look at the decision again, explaining why you think it is wrong. This is called 'mandatory reconsideration'.
The best way to request one is to write a message in your journal saying that you want a mandatory reconsideration of the decision and explaining why you think the decision is wrong.
It can take a long time for messages in the journal to be read, so you should also phone the universal credit helpline to tell them that you are asking for a mandatory reconsideration.
If you want to challenge a decision on a closed claim, you will need to call the DWP helpline 0800 328 5644 and ask for the address to send your written request for a mandatory reconsideration.
If you can, make sure you're asking for a mandatory consideration within a month of your decision as the government may refuse to reconsider it.
If you still think the decision is wrong after receiving the mandatory reconsideration notice, you can make an appeal to a tribunal. This means someone outside of the government will take a look at your case and make a decision on it.
🗒️ Want to find out more about applying for universal credit? Check out the resources below:
How do I claim universal credit? - Turn2Us
Problems with universal credit for people in work - USDAW
Universal credit - Gov.uk
Contact us about a universal credit application - Citizens Advice
