Benefits and money advice
Universal Credit
Universal Credit is a benefit payment to help with your living costs which replaces six benefits.
What is Universal Credit?
Universal Credit replaces six benefits:
- Housing Benefit
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (Income based)
- Employment and Support Allowance (Income based)
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
If you already claim any of these benefits then don’t worry, you’ll carry on getting your current benefits as normal. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will get in touch with you if anything changes.
But if something happens in your life that affects your benefits, like starting a new job or having a baby, you might need to apply for Universal Credit.
If you’re already claiming Universal Credit, any housing costs you're entitled to should already be included in your Universal Credit payment.
Keeping your rent up to date
It’s important to keep up with your rent payments so you don’t miss any payments and fall into arrears. It might be a good idea to pay a bit extra where you can to build up credit on your account. If you’re worried about paying your rent, let us know as soon as possible.
Universal Credit FAQs
You may also like...
Make a spending plan
Create your own personal spending plan with our easy-to-use budget planner.
Claiming benefits
Our benefits calculator will help you find out what benefits you can claim.
Talk to our financial inclusion team
Our advisors are trained to give free, one to one support, if you're worried about money. If you're struggling to pay your rent, looking for benefits advice or help with budgeting then give us a call. They can even help you find free clothing and interview coaching.