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

More financial help if you get Universal Credit

If you are entitled to Universal Credit you may be eligible to claim extra support to help with essential costs

Help while waiting on your Universal Credit payment

If you do not have enough money to live on, you can apply for: 

  • a Universal Credit Contingency Fund short term living expenses grant.  You do not have to pay this back
  • a Universal Credit Advance loan.  You will have to pay this back from your Universal Credit payments
  • a Budgeting Advance loan.  You will have to pay this back from your Universal Credit payments
  • Discretionary Support.  This is an interest free loan or a grant

More information on this support is available at Help while waiting for a Universal Credit payment. Contact Universal Credit through your online account or speak to your work coach at your local Jobs & Benefits office.

Make the Call Service

Check if you are getting all the money, support and services you are entitled to by contacting Make the Call.

Other benefits you may be able to get

Details of other benefits you may be able to claim are available at Range of available benefits

Further financial support

The following financial support may also be available to you:

Adviser Discretionary Fund (ADF)

If you are unemployed and you are facing financial barriers to starting or returning to work, or if you are employed or self-employed and are facing financial difficulties your local Jobs & Benefits office may be able to help you with upfront childcare costs, travel to job interview costs and other expenses, through the Adviser Discretion Fund.

Rate Rebate

Universal Credit does not include an amount for rates but, if you are entitled to Universal Credit and you live in your own property or a rented property, you can apply for a Rate Rebate.  You can’t apply for Rate Rebate if you live in supported accommodation.

Support for Mortgage Interest

If you are a homeowner and you get Universal Credit, you may be able to get help towards your mortgage interest payments.  You will need to pay this money back, with interest, when you sell or transfer ownership of your property. More information is available on support for mortgage interest 

Help with Health Costs

You may be able to get help with dental, optical and travel costs if you receive Universal Credit. To get this help, you must complete a HC1 form and send it for assessment.

If your application is successful, you will be issued a certificate which will entitle you to either:

  • full remission of health costs for a 12 month period (HC2 certificate)
  • partial remission of health costs for a 12 month period (HC3 certificate).

More information on Help with Health Costs

Free School Meals and School Uniform Assistance and Transport

To claim free school meals or for help with school uniforms you should apply online at Education Authority (EA) Northern Ireland website.  If you get Universal Credit, you will need to provide your most recent Universal Credit Claimant Statement.

More information is available on Nutrition and school lunches and School uniform and uniform grants.

Some children may be able to get help with home to school transport from the Education Authority (EA).  Children with disabilities or special educational needs may also receive extra help.  More information, including how to apply, is available at  School transport

Pre-School Application Process

Parents applying for a pre-school education place who are eligible for Universal Credit can claim priority because of social disadvantage.

You can apply online for admission to pre-school at Education Authority admissions website

You can also request a paper form by emailing preschooladmissions@eani.org.uk or contacting the Admissions Helpdesk (028) 9598 5595.

Applicants who get Universal Credit will need to provide their most recent Universal Credit Claimant Statement.

Healthy Start Scheme

If you get Universal Credit, your family can get access to free vitamins and vouchers towards milk, fruit and vegetables through the Healthy Start Scheme.

More information, including how to claim is available at Healthy Start Scheme.

Sure Start Maternity Grants

If you receive Universal Credit, you may be eligible for a one-off £500 payment to help with the costs of a new baby. You do not have to pay this back.  More information, including how to claim is available at Sure Start Maternity Grant.

Cold Weather Payments

You may be eligible for a Cold Weather payment if:

  • you get Universal Credit
  • you are not employed or self-employed, and either
    • you have a health condition or disability and have limited capability for work (with or without work-related activity)
    • you have a child under five living with you

You will also be eligible if you have a disabled child amount in your claim, whether you are employed or not.  More information, including how this payment is made is available at  Cold Weather Payments

BT low cost broadband and phone service

If you get Universal Credit and you have zero earnings you may be able to get help with your broadband and phone costs.  You can get more information, including how to apply at BT Home Essentials

Legal Aid

If you get Universal Credit, you may be able to get legal aid as well as legal advice and help, prison visits and exemption from court costs.  More information including how to apply is available at Legal aid.

Funeral Payments

If you receive Universal Credit and are arranging the funeral of someone you have had a close relationship with, you may be able to get a Funeral Expenses Payment.

More information on eligibility and how to apply is available at Funeral Expenses Payments.

Child Funeral Fund

The Child Funeral Fund is a one-off lump sum payment available to everyone in Northern Ireland regardless of their financial status, to help families with the cost of a funeral following the death of a child under 18 or a still birth after 24 weeks. 

Information on how to apply is available at The Child Funeral Fund

Council run services

Your local council may offer reduced rates for some services.

  • Contacting 08 and 03 numbers
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Universal Credit

  • Agree your Universal Credit Commitment
  • Changes that may affect your Universal Credit
  • Changes you need to tell Universal Credit about
  • 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 make a claim for Universal Credit
  • 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 if you have a health condition or disability
  • Universal Credit if you're claiming other benefits or tax credits
  • Universal Credit if you're employed
  • Universal Credit if you're self-employed
  • Universal Credit if you're unemployed
  • Universal Credit payments for children and childcare
  • Universal Credit payments for housing
  • Universal Credit reclaims
  • Universal Credit: advance payments
  • Universal Credit: two child limit
  • 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 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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