Support and independent advice

If you want some help with your Universal Credit application or you’re worried about managing your income until you receive your first Universal Credit payment, there are different types of support available.

Help with making your application

Help to Claim offers free, independent, confidential and impartial support over the phone to help people make a claim to Universal Credit, delivered by trained advisers from Citizens Advice. See the following contact information depending on where you live:

  • England and Wales (Citizens Advice) – 0800 144 8444
  • Scotland (Citizens Advice Scotland) – 0800 023 2581
  • Welsh language line – 0800 024 1220

If you are in Northern Ireland, visit NI Direct.

You can also find out about free and impartial benefits advice in your local area with Advice Local.

Watch our Step-by-Step Guide to applying for Universal Credit.

Support before your first payment

If you will find it difficult to manage financially before you get your first Universal Credit payment, you can ask for some of your Universal Credit payment in advance.

The maximum amount of advance you can ask for will depend on how much you are estimated to receive in your first monthly payment.

Don’t forget, your advance is repayable which means your future Universal Credit payments will be adjusted until the advance is fully paid back. You can check your online Universal Credit journal to find out more about how this works and how much your payments will be adjusted by.

Find out more about how you can ask for a Universal Credit advance.

Change how you get your Universal Credit payment

If you’re finding it difficult to manage financially or you find yourself falling behind on your rent, you or your landlord can consider applying for an Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA).

This changes how you receive your payment and it might be helpful depending on your situation. For example, you can:

  • get your rent paid directly to your landlord
  • get paid more frequently than once a month
  • receive split payments, if you’re part of a couple

Check your online Universal Credit journal to find out if these alternatives might work for you.

Get help and advice with MoneyHelper

If you are worrying about how to manage your bills during this change, then MoneyHelper’s Bill Prioritiser and other tools could help you. If you are already missing payments to people you owe money to, then you can access free and confidential help where you live from our debt advice locator.

Childcare

You may be able to claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs on Universal Credit, if you’re in paid work or starting a job in the next month.

Find out more about how childcare works on Universal Credit.

Support if you’re affected by terminal illness

If you’re living with, or caring for someone with, a terminal illness, thinking about benefits may feel worrying or overwhelming. There are lots of organisations that can help:  

  • The Macmillan Support Line offers free, confidential support to people living with cancer and their loved ones. If you need to talk, call 0808 808 0000. There is also information about benefits and financial support that you could be eligible for if you have cancer.  

DWP is not responsible for information given by benefit calculators. These are only estimates and may not include the financial protection that you may be eligible for.

More help from the government

Find out about what other government support is available.

Help if you’re in Scotland

If you’re in Scotland there are some additional choices available to you.

Contact the Move to Universal Credit helpline

Call the phone number in your Universal Credit Migration Notice letter if you have a question about moving to Universal Credit or you can’t get online.

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