Universal Credit, the new monthly payment run by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) was rolled out across Norwich in October 2018.
Which benefits does Universal Credit replace?
- Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
Who can claim
If you want to make a new claim for one of the six benefits listed above, you may need to claim Universal Credit instead. You can find more detailed information about eligibility on the GOV.UK website.
If you are already claiming at least one of these benefits and your circumstances do not change, you will be informed by the DWP when you need to move onto Universal Credit. We expect that this will happen from 2019 onwards.
What is different about Universal Credit?
Universal Credit is paid differently from any benefits or tax credits you may get now:
- It is a single monthly payment
- It is paid directly into your bank or building society account
- It includes any help towards paying your rent
- You need to claim Universal Credit online
Because it is different to existing benefits and tax credits, you will need to get ready for Universal Credit as soon as you can.