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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Benefits and money
    3. Benefits and financial support
    4. Support if you're employed or looking for work
    5. Universal Credit

    Changes that may affect your Universal Credit

    If your situation changes you should tell Universal Credit as soon as possible as it may impact on your payments.

    Changes to your situation

    You must tell Universal Credit about any changes in your situation, as this may affect your Universal Credit payments and change what you need to do to look for or prepare for work. 

    Changes can include:

    • getting a job
    • stopping work
    • having or caring for a child
    • moving home
    • changing your bank account
    • your rent going up or down
    • becoming too ill to work or meet your work coach
    • a partner moving in or out of your home
    • reaching State Pension age

    This is not a complete list. For more information contact your work coach through your Universal Credit online account or call the Universal Credit Service Centre.

    Messages to your online account will be answered as soon as possible during business hours.

    When you reach State pension age, you will no longer be entitled to Universal Credit, unless you live with a partner who is under State Pension age.

    Changes to your income

    You must report changes to your income:

    • if your employer does not take tax from your wage through Pay As You Earn (PAYE) (ask your employer if you’re not sure)
    • if you receive income from a private or occupational pension or an annuity (a policy that pays an income)
    • you receive income from self-employed work

    You do not need to report:

    • changes to your income if your employer takes tax from your wage through PAYE (details of your earnings will be provided directly to Universal Credit) 
    • changes to your other benefits

    How to report a change

    You must tell Universal Credit about any changes immediately, or your payments may be stopped or reduced.

    You can report changes:

    • through your Universal Credit online account
    • by phoning the Universal Credit Service Centre  
    • by speaking to your Work Coach at your local Jobs & Benefits office

    You must tell Universal Credit the date the change happened, giving as much information as possible about any changes.

    Appointments at Jobs and Benefits offices

    All Jobs and Benefits offices work primarily on an appointment basis. If you arrive without an appointment you will be seen at the Welcome Desk, or an appointment will be arranged for a suitable date and time. 

    If you are asked to go to an appointment, it is important you turn up, as failure to do so may affect your payments.

    If you are unable to use the telephony or digital services an urgent appointment can be arranged for you in your local Jobs & Benefits office. To arrange an appointment contact the Universal Credit Service Centre. You should tell Universal Credit when booking your appointment if you need interpreting support.

    What happens if you do not report changes

    You must report any changes in your circumstances to make sure you keep getting the right amount each month.

    If you do not report a change:

    • you may not get all the money you are entitled to 
    • you may get more money than you are entitled to, and you would have to pay this back

    Your Universal Credit payment may be reduced or stopped if you do not report changes straight away.

    Help and support

    If you would like independent help and advice on Universal Credit, or any of the other welfare changes, you can visit any independent advice office or contact:

    • Housing Rights
    • AdviceNI

    More useful links

    • Managing money
    • Financial support for people with disabilities
    • Benefits for higher education students
    • Finance Support
    • Help with health costs
    • School uniform grants
    • Free school lunches
    • School transport
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    Universal Credit

    • Agree your Universal Credit Commitment
    • Business expenses you can report if you're self-employed
    • Changes that may affect your Universal Credit
    • Changes you need to tell Universal Credit about
    • Contact the Move to Universal Credit team
    • Contact Universal Credit for help with your claim
    • Extra help to make or maintain your Universal Credit claim
    • Find out who to contact about money taken off your Universal Credit payment
    • Frontier and cross border workers claiming Universal Credit
    • Help to find work on Universal Credit
    • Help while waiting for a Universal Credit payment
    • How much can be taken from your Universal Credit payments
    • How much Universal Credit you get and how you're paid
    • How you can get ready to Move to Universal Credit
    • How you make a claim for Universal Credit
    • If your Universal Credit claim is reviewed
    • Money taken from your Universal Credit payments
    • More financial help if you get Universal Credit
    • Unable to manage your Universal Credit claim by yourself
    • Universal Credit - Sharing your information with others
    • Universal Credit explained — videos to help you make and manage your claim
    • Universal Credit if you have a health condition or disability
    • Universal Credit if you're claiming other benefits
    • Universal Credit if you're employed
    • Universal Credit if you're unemployed
    • Universal Credit payments for children and childcare
    • Universal Credit payments for housing
    • Universal Credit: information for couples
    • What is Move to Universal Credit
    • What to do after you have claimed Universal Credit
    • What will affect your Universal Credit payments
    • Who can claim Universal Credit
    • Who to contact if you disagree with Universal Credit's decision
    • Who to talk to about deductions from your Universal Credit
    • You want to claim Universal Credit again

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    What to do next

    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

    For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

    For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

    If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

    • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

    For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

    For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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