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  5. Universal Credit

What to do after you have claimed Universal Credit

To make sure there are no delays in assessing your claim, there are some things you need to do as soon as possible.

Confirm your identity

When you claim Universal Credit you will be asked to verify (prove) your identity through your Universal Credit online account 

You can also verify your identity by phoning the Universal Credit Service Centre to make an appointment at your local Jobs & Benefits office. You will be told what documents you need to bring to confirm your identity.

All Jobs and Benefits offices are now open for business 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. You will be asked to observe social distancing, to use hand sanitiser and to wear a face covering.

If you are asked to attend 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 in your local Jobs & Benefits office. To arrange an appointment contact the Universal Credit Service Centre. You should tell them when booking your appointment if you need interpreting support.

Agree your Commitment

To get Universal Credit you will need to agree your commitment through your online account.  Your commitment sets out what you need to do to prepare for work, look for work or increase your earnings.

The actions set out in your commitment will depend on things like your health, your responsibilities at home and how much help you need to start working or increase your income.

You will regularly discuss and update your commitment with your work coach and you will need to agree the commitment each time to keep getting Universal Credit.

Your work coach will contact you by telephone to discuss what activities you can do to help you move into employment and to offer support.

You will be given notice of your telephone appointment on your journal. It is important Universal Credit have this conversation with you as part of your application process.  

Information needed in the first month of your claim

In the first month of your claim you need to provide:

  • details of your childcare costs and childcare provider 
  • a fit note from your doctor, if you are ill
  • details of your rent, if you rent from a private landlord. (If you rent from a social landlord, for example Northern Ireland Health Executive (NIHE) or a housing association, Universal Credit will get these details directly from them)

You will be told through your online account if any more information is needed.

You can watch the Universal Credit Guide on how to upload documents to your Universal Credit account

Watch this video guide with British sign language
Watch this video guide with Irish sign language

Report changes in your circumstances

You need to tell Universal Credit about any changes in your circumstances, or your payments may stop or be reduced.  Changes that you need to report include change of name, change of address and change of bank account details. For more examples, see  changes you need to report.

You can report changes:

  • using your Universal Credit online account Messages to your online account will be answered as soon as possible during business hours.
  • by speaking to your Work Coach at your local Jobs & Benefits office, or
  • by phoning the Universal Credit Service Centre.

You must tell Universal Credit the date the change happened and provide as much information as possible about the change.

Help until you get your Universal Credit payment

You can get help if you do not have enough money to live on.  Contact the Universal Credit Service Centre through your Universal Credit online account, or speak to your work coach at your local Jobs & Benefits office.

There are a few ways to get help while you are waiting on your first Universal Credit payment.

Universal Credit Contingency Fund short term living expenses grant

A Universal Credit Contingency Fund grant is extra Financial Support which may be available if you do not have enough money to live on until you get full payment of your first Universal Credit award and need additional financial support. You will not have to pay this back.

You can get further information on a Universal Credit Contingency Fund grant or you can contact your work coach at your local Jobs & Benefits office.

Universal Credit Advance Loan or Budgeting Advance Loan

A Universal Credit Advance loan or Budgeting Advance loan may be available to help with your living costs or to help pay emergency household costs until you receive your Universal Credit payment.  You will have to pay this back from your Universal Credit payments over several months.

Discretionary Support payment

You can get Discretionary Support which is short term financial support paid into your bank account as either an interest-free loan or a grant which you do not have to pay back.

Help with health costs

If you are claiming Universal Credit you may be able to get help with your health costs Health Costs.

Help with Childcare costs

If paying upfront for registered childcare is preventing you from starting work, help may be available.

You can find further information on how to claim upfront childcare costs from the Adviser Discretion Fund.  You can also get help from your local Jobs and Benefits office or speak with your work coach.

Further information on support is also available at Employers for Childcare.

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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.

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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:

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    contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
     
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    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

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