On Tax Credits or receive Housing Benefit, JSA, IS or ESA?
You’ll have received a leaflet from the government about these benefits being replaced by Universal Credit (UC).
Your Migration Notice letter will arrive in the coming months and ask you to complete an online application for UC. You’ll need to make the switch within the period stated in your letter.
Please note – if you apply for UC too early, you could be worse off financially and lose your transitional protection payment. You might be better off making the move to UC closer to the end of the period stated in your letter.
Avoid relying solely on online benefit calculators - they often can’t account for transitional protection and may even incorrectly advise that you will not be entitled. To understand how the migration to UC could affect you, please get in touch and ask to speak with one of our Customer Income Advisors.
What is Universal Credit?
Universal Credit has replaced Housing Benefit, ESA, JSA, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit and Income Support for most people and it's received in a single payment each month. Universal Credit is all managed online - where you will be able to apply, update your details, view your benefit payments, exchange messages with your work coach and keep a record of your job seeking activity (if you are required to).
Who can receive Universal Credit?
You may be able to get Universal Credit if you’re on a low income or need help with your living costs. You could be out of work, working (including self-employed or part time), or 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 to 17), be under State Pension age, and have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments.
Find out more about Universal Credit eligibility and use a benefits calculator to check what you're entitled to.
Does Universal Credit affect how I pay my rent?
Usually, yes – if you move on to Universal Credit any help you get towards your rent will be paid directly to you as part of one monthly payment. This is called a 'housing element' and you'll then need to remember to pay us each month.
The easiest way to pay your rent and service charges is to set up a direct debit to come out of your bank account after your Universal Credit is paid each month. Find out more about ways to pay SNG.
Some claimants will be able to have their housing costs paid direct to their landlord . If you think this would help you, call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.
How do I start claiming Universal Credit?
You can start the claiming process by visiting the government website.
Please note - if you can’t apply online or will find it difficult to, call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644. Alternatively, you can speak to an SNG Customer Income Advisor who can help you make a claim - by calling 0300 5000 926 or emailing supportforyou@sng.org.uk.
There are a few things you’ll need to have ready before you can apply.
- The application form for Universal Credit is online – so you’ll need good, regular internet access, a mobile phone and an email address.
- You’ll also need a bank account – or a building society or credit union account.
- If you're living as a couple, both of you will need to apply for Universal Credit and your claims will be linked together using a linking code.
You’ll need the following documents and information to hand while you’re applying for Universal Credit online:
- Bank account details
- Email address
- National insurance number
- Housing information – like how much your rent and service charges are, and if you have any rent clear weeks (even if you receive Housing Benefit)
- Income information – like payslips
- Saving and investment information – like shares
- Any childcare costs – like how much you pay
- ID (passport, driving licence, debit or credit card)
- A fit note (if you are on sick leave)
It’s best to set aside about 30 minutes to an hour of uninterrupted time to apply online.
- You’ll be asked to set up an account, but this doesn’t take long and means you’ll be able to save your form and come back to it if you need to.
- If you’re inactive for 30 minutes, you’ll be logged out automatically and will need to log in again.
- It’s best to save your form frequently, otherwise you may lose information if you move away from your computer.
- Keep your log-in details safe as you'll need them each time you log in.
Usually, the next step of applying for Universal Credit will be to have an interview with your work coach. You’ll be asked to arrange an appointment them – it will either be in person at the Job Centre or over the phone. If you don’t book this by the given deadline you may have to start the application process again.
At the interview, your work coach will check your details, ask you about your work history and ask you to agree your 'claimant commitment' - this sets out what tasks you'll do regularly to receive Universal Credit. If you are required to look for work, you will meet regularly with your work coach to continue claiming.
You will be assigned a case manager who deals with your payments from Universal Credit, and they may need to contact you too.
Most of the time though, your work coach and case manager are likely to keep in touch with you online, via the account you used to apply for Universal Credit. It is important that you respond to every task or message your work coach or case manager sets. If you don’t, it may delay or stop your Universal Credit payment being made.
Your Universal credit account, journal and sanctions
You’ll need your online Universal Credit account for lots of things – it’s not just for applying for Universal Credit.
It will be used to:
- Update your details if your circumstances change
- Provide information such as childcare costs
- Give details about a disability or health condition
- View how much your Universal Credit payments will be
- Exchange messages with your work coach and case manager. This happens in the area of your Universal Credit account called the journal
- Keep a record of all the things you’re doing to find work (if you need to). You’ll find the things you need to do are recorded in the section of the online account called the to do list,
Every April, you’ll need to let the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) know whether your rent and service charges have changed. Look out for a 'to-do' on your online portal.
The to do list in your Universal Credit account are things (tasks) you need to do while your application is being processed – or during the time you’re receiving Universal Credit.
These are the tasks you agreed to do as part of your claimant commitment. Once a task on your to do list is complete, it will move to the section in the online account called the journal.
The journal is where you will be able to leave messages for your work coach and case manager. And they’ll be able to reply or leave new messages for you. It’s really important to check your journal regularly so you don’t miss a message – which may delay or stop your payments.
The journal is the right place to tell your work coach about applying for jobs and whether you’ve attended interviews or work experience or training. If you need to, you’ll also be able to share documents that you’ve been working on, like CVs. Completed, old tasks from your to do list will be stored in the journal, too.
Your journal will become a complete record of all the things you have done while applying for and claiming Universal Credit.
A sanction means that some, or possibly all, of your Universal Credit payment will be stopped. If you don’t do the tasks you agreed to when you signed your claimant commitment, then you risk getting a sanction.
If you have a very good reason for not doing a task, you must let your work coach know as soon as you can. This will help you to avoid being sanctioned.
You could be sanctioned for things like, not attending an interview or a work-search review. And you could be sanctioned until you attend them. You could also be sanctioned for not keeping your journal up to date.
The level of sanction varies and depends on the reason for the sanction. Also, if you’ve had previous sanctions this could result in longer sanctions being applied.
A sanction can last for up to 6 months.
A hardship payment is available if you’re given a sanction and can’t pay for basic things like food, heating or rent. But you’ll have to pay this back from future Universal Credit payments.
To get a hardship payment, you must be:
- 18 or over
- able to show you’ve tried to find the money elsewhere
- and show that you need the money for essentials
To apply for a hardship payment, call the Universal Credit free helpline on 0800 328 5644.
If you don’t agree with being sanctioned, then you can appeal. This is called a Mandatory Reconsideration.
You can find out more about this on the Government website.
If the Mandatory Reconsideration is turned down, you can go to an Independent Tribunal. Find out how .
Citizens Advice will be able to help you apply .