Accessing universal credit online

To work out how much Universal Credit they can give you, the Government needs quite a bit of information. It’s a good idea to get the right documents and information ready before you start.

You’ll need:

• An email address.
• Your phone number.
• Your postcode.
• Your National Insurance number – You can find this on your online tax account. It’s also on old documents like a P60, a payslip or letters about tax, pensions or benefits. If you can't access or find your National Insurance number, check the Government website.
• Details of your bank, building society or credit union account - You'll need a bank account to receive your benefit payment. If you're applying with your partner, you only need one account to receive the benefits for both of you. Need help setting up a bank account? We have a banking online lesson you can look at later.
• Details of your current living situation - This includes type, how much you pay and who your landlord is, if you have one.
• Details of any savings or investments you have.
• Details of any income - From work or elsewhere (such as a private pension).
• Details of any other benefits you receive - This will include how much you receive from each of them.
• The cost of child support - If you're asking for help with the cost of supporting children, you'll need to say how much you pay for childcare. You may also need the details of your childcare provider if you have one.
• Details of any health conditions or disabilities, including any evidence for your fitness to work - This is a 'fit note', and you can ask your doctor for it. If you can't get a fit note, add any information that would help. This may include details of appointments, letters from professionals, prescriptions, and anything else you think can help.

If you think you can claim, go to the gov.uk website and set up an account. You can do this by clicking here. Once you create your account, you have 28 days to submit your form. Need help with this? Call the helpline on 0800 328 5644.

If you're applying with a partner, both of you need to set up an account. You'll then receive a code to link your accounts together.

When you log into your account, you'll see something called a to-do list. This is a list of questions you need to answer before you can submit. You have 28 days from creating your account to submit your claim. Be aware that if you don't use the site for 30 minutes, you may need to log back in again.

If you need to change any of your answers, you can do this at the end, but you'll need to finish your to-do first.

You should have everything you need to complete this if you've done Step 1. Again, if you need any support with your claim, you can phone the helpline on 0800 328 5644.

Finally, if you're applying with a partner, remember to link your account first. Until you do this, you might not be able to answer all the questions on your to-do list.

It’s important that your answers on your to-do list are correct. Before you submit, it’s best to check them one last time and update anything that doesn’t seem right.

If your details aren’t right:

• They might wrongly reject your claim.
• You could get less than you’re allowed.
• You could get more than you’re allowed. You’ll need to pay this extra money back.

Life and income can change quickly. If anything changes after you've submitted your claim, log into your account as soon as possible and update it. Any information that isn't right could mean your payments stop or go down, so always remember to update your account.

There may also be details you didn't have when you submitted your claim. For example, you might have been waiting for a fit note. So you'll need to update your account once you have the new details or documents.

Verifying your identity just means you need to prove you are who you say you are. You can find out how to do this on the Govenment website. If you can't do this, you can still prove who you are in person, in the next and final step of the process.

If it’s right for your circumstances, the final step will be a phone call or appointment with a Jobcentre work coach. The work coach can help you verify your identity if you couldn’t do this online.

Before you go to this interview, you might need to do some further tasks. So it’s a good idea to check your to-do list online before your appointment. In the ‘prepare for your appointment’ section, write down the answers to the questions the work coach will need. Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll get a phone number to help you book.

If you can’t hear or speak on the phone

You can use Relay UK to type what you want to say. To use this free service, call 18001 followed by the number you want to call.

If you use British Sign Language

There is a Video relay service you can use. It will call the Claim helpline directly from your device, so only use this link when you're ready.

In your interview, you’ll create a commitment with your work coach. This will be to do things like look and apply for jobs. It also includes admin commitments like paying rent or reporting changes in your circumstances.

Ask your local council if they have a 'welfare assistance scheme' that can help you. If you don't know your local council, search by your postcode.

Citizen’s Advice can give help from local services and trained volunteers. Call them on 03444 113 111.

You can get help at a local Online Centre.

Call the Money Advice Service on 0800 138 7777.

You may be able to get food from local food banks. Find your nearest one on the Trussell Trust website.

If you have low or no income and you want to apply for benefits that don't ask about savings, you can apply for the 'new style' Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) or the 'new style' Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). These don't take into account your partner's income either.

The Government has a full list of extra support you can get.

There is different support for people in Scotland and Wales. Find out more here: Support in Scotland or Support in Wales.