Benefit Advice

What is Universal Credit?

Universal Credit is a monthly payment to people of working age who are on a low income or out of work.

Under Universal Credit, it is easier to receive benefits whatever your situation, especially if circumstances change.

For example, if you are unemployed and get a part-time job, your benefits won’t just stop. Instead, your Universal Credit will go down as your earnings go up.

It also means you don’t have to swap from benefit to benefit to suit your situation, so it saves a lot of time and worry! You won’t be taxed on your Universal Credit money either.

Can I get Universal Credit?

If you are thinking about making a new benefit claim, it is likely you will need to claim Universal Credit. To make a claim you have to:

• Be 18 or over
• Live in the UK
• Not be in education
• Be under the Pension Credit age
• Have less than £16,000 savings in your name

This Universal Credit Calculator will show your entitlement to Universal Credit, and other benefits that you may be able to claim, whether in or out of work.

Remember: Universal Credit is not just for people out of work. Any household who has a family income below £50k should carry out a 10-minute check to see if you are entitled to Universal Credit

How much Universal Credit will I get?

This depends on what your income is. Universal Credit is means-tested so they will assess how much you earn from your job (if any) and if you have any savings. If you have savings of more than £6,000 this will count as a monthly income, and they will calculate that before they work out how much Universal Credit to give you.

What if I’m already on benefits?

You may be able to claim New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) with, or instead of, Universal Credit, depending on your National Insurance record.

Moving onto to Universal Credit?

• You need to be online – you make your claim and check your payments and updates online
• You need a bank account – your payment will be made into a bank account
• You need to pay your rent directly to us – unlike before, the government will no longer pay your rent to your landlord. Instead, they will pay the money straight into your bank account and you will be responsible for paying your rent

We suggest setting up a Direct Debit payment to us for the day your Universal Credit payment arrives in your account. That way you don’t need to remember to pay or worry about how much you have left for other things.

We can set this up for you, all you have to do is contact us.

For more information about Universal Credit, how to claim it and what the payments are, visit the Universal Credit website

Further information about moving onto Universal Credit from other benefits

Universal Credit is replacing 6 benefits called ‘legacy benefits’. These are:  

• Housing Benefit 
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) 
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) 
• Child Tax Credits (CTC)  
• Working Tax Credits (WTC) 
• Income Support 

You cannot usually make a new claim for these benefits.  

If you already get one of them, you will move onto Universal Credit by 2029. You can stay on your current benefits unless: 

• You get a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) telling you to claim Universal Credit by a certain date. This will be called a ‘Migration notice’
• Your situation changes in certain ways - for example, you might need to claim Universal Credit if you’ve separated from a partner or moved to a different council area

If you have any questions about moving onto Universal Credit, you can call the Migration Notice helpline on, 0800 169 0328. 

You can find more information about the migration to Universal Credit, on the  UK Government Website

Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent if you are on a low income or claiming benefits. Housing benefit is being replaced by Universal Credit.

New claims for Housing Benefit are only being considered if you have reached State Pension age and/or you’re in supported, sheltered or temporary housing. For further information on Housing Benefit, visit the Housing Benefit website.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) can help with extra living costs if you have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and have difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of your condition. You can get PIP even if you’re working, have savings or are getting most other benefits. 

For more information about PIP visit the PIP website. For help claiming PIP visit Personal Independence Payment Turn2us 

If you’re responsible for bringing up a child under the age of 16, or under 20 and still in formal education, then you may be entitled to a monthly Child Benefit payment. 

For more information about how to apply, visit the Child Benefit website.

Attendance Allowance is a monthly payment for people with a disability severe enough that they need someone to help look after them. 

There are 2 different rates payable and to claim you must be:

• physically or mentally disabled
• State Pension age or older

You could get extra Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction if you get Attendance Allowance. You do not have to have someone caring for you in order to claim, although it you do have a carer they may be entitled to  Carer’s Allowance if you have substantial caring needs.

To find out if you could qualify for this and how much you may be entitled to, visit the Attendance Allowance website.

You could get Carers Allowance if you care for someone at least 35 hours a week and they get certain benefits. You do not have to be related to, or live with, the person you care for. 

You will not get paid extra if you care for more than one person. If someone else also cares for the same person as you, only one of you can claim Carer’s Allowance. 

For more information about carers allowance, visit the Carers Allowance website.

If you are claiming benefits or on a low income you could get support with your council tax payments. You have to apply to get the support through your local council. Contact Walsall - 0300 555 2855 Council tax reduction | Walsall Council or Lambeth 034 5302 2312 Council Tax Support | Lambeth Council

The state pension is paid to some people at retirement age. You can find out when you can start claiming the state pension, how much you’re likely to get and how it will be paid to you on the Money Helper website 

Pension Credit could top up your income to a minimum of £218.15 per week for single pensioners and to £332.95 for couples or more if a person has a disability or caring responsibilities. Even a small Pension Credit award can provide access to a wide range of other benefits such as help with housing costs, Council tax or heating bills.

Apply for Pension Credit online
You can also call the Pension Credit claim line on 0800 99 1234

If you have a spare bedroom and you are renting a council or housing association home, your Housing Benefit, or housing costs element of Universal Credit, may be reduced. This is referred to as the ‘Bedroom Tax’ or the ‘under-occupation penalty’. 

For further more information, and to find out if the bedroom tax affects you, visit the Money Helper website.

The first thing to do is find out if there is extra support out there for you. The quickest and easiest way to do this is through an online benefits calculator. It’s free to use and anonymous so you don’t have to worry about giving away private information.

The benefits calculator will be able to tell you:

• What benefits you could get
• How to claim
• How your benefits will be affected if you start a job
• If there are any charitable grants you could apply for

What information will I need to use the calculator?

To assess your circumstances and to see if you are eligible for any benefits or grants you will need to make sure you have the right information on:

• Any savings or accounts you have – if yes, how much?
• Your income or your partner’s income
• A list of any benefits or pensions you already have (including anybody who lives with you)
• Your monthly spends (rent, mortgage and childcare costs)
• Your council tax bill

Find out now if you could be claiming and saving money with the benefits calculator.

Other calculators you can use include:

Entitled to Website 

Government Benefits Calculators 

Turn 2 us 

Age UK 

Citizens Advice