Universal Credit: Help to Claim

Universal Credit works differently from other benefits – so if you’re moving from another benefit, it is important to know the differences. 

The biggest differences are:

• you can get Universal Credit if you are unemployed, but also if you are working
• you’ll get a single payment each month, rather than weekly or fortnightly
• instead of getting a seperate housing benefit payment, your housing costs will be paid directly to you as part of your monthly Universal Credit payment
• the benefit is claimed and managed online. You will need an email account and access to the internet to make and maintain your claim. 

Whether you should apply for Universal Credit, will depend on your circumstances – check if you can apply by calling our Help to Claim service. 

Help to Claim is a dedicated service from Citizens Advice. It is free, independent, confidential and impartial. Our trained advisers can help with things like how to gather evidence for your application or how to prepare for your work coach appointment.

For all other enquiries, you can call our freephone adviceline on:

To access advice and information online you can visit the following:

Click the above icon to access support from a Help to Claim adviser via our webchat service