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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

Who can claim Universal Credit

Universal Credit is a payment for people over 18 but under State Pension age who are on a low income or out of work. In some circumstances you can claim if you are 16 or 17, in full-time training or a full-time student.

Other benefits you may be able to get

You may be able to get other benefits.  If you or your partner get any of the following benefits, the amount you get will be taken off your Universal Credit payments.

  • Carer's Allowance
  • Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (parts of Constant Attendance Allowance and Exceptionally Severe Disablement Allowance may not be included
  • Maternity Allowance
  • State Pension
  • Widowed Parent's Allowance
  • New Style Jobseeker's Allowance
  • New Style Employment and Support Allowance

Universal Credit eligibility

To get Universal Credit, you must:

  • be aged 18 or over (16 or 17 in certain circumstances)
  • be under State Pension age 
  • not be in full time education or training (unless exceptions apply) 
  • not have savings over £16,000

You’ll get less Universal Credit if you have savings over £6,000 or you earn enough money to cover your basic living costs.

If you live with a partner as a couple you will need to make a joint claim. You will be treated as a couple if you and your partner are:

  • married to each other
  • in a civil partnership 
  • living together as if you were married

If you are 16 or 17

If you are 16 or 17 you can get Universal Credit if any of the following apply:

  • you have limited capability for work or you have medical evidence and are waiting for a Work Capability Assessment 
  • you are a carer for a severely disabled person
  • you are single and responsible for a child
  • you are part of a couple who are responsible for at least one child, and your partner is eligible for Universal Credit
  • you are at least 29 weeks pregnant
  • you have had a child in the last 15 weeks
  • you don’t have parental support (for example, you don’t have parents and you’re not under local authority care)

If you are in training or studying full-time

If you are in full-time training or are a full-time student, you can get Universal Credit if any of the following apply:

  • you are part of a couple and your partner is eligible for Universal Credit
  • you are part of a couple who is responsible for at least one child, and one (or both) of you is a student
  • you are single and are responsible for a child
  • you are over the qualifying age for Pension Credit (which is increasing in line with the increasing State Pension age) or, in joint claims where your partner is under that age
  • you are 21 or under, in full-time ‘non-advanced education’ (for example, studying for A levels or a BTEC National Diploma), and you don’t have parental support (for example, you don’t have parents and you’re not under local-authority care)
  • you are disabled, have been assessed as having Limited Capability for Work (LCW) or Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity, (LWRA) and receive:
    • Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment
    • Attendance Allowance
    • Armed Forces Independence Payment

For more information, contact your local Jobs & Benefits office  or phone the Universal Credit Service Centre 

If you're Pension Credit age but your partner is not

If you live with a partner who is under the qualifying age for Pension Credit and is eligible for Universal Credit you can still make a joint claim for Universal Credit.

If you get Severe Disability Premium

From February 2021 if you are receiving Severe Disability Premium and you have a change in your circumstances, you may move onto Universal Credit. You will be eligible for transitional payments to make sure you don’t lose money when you move. This known as Transitional Protection.

You must report any changes in your circumstances to make sure you are getting the right payments. 

Moving to Universal Credit from another benefit or tax credits

When you claim Universal Credit, any benefits or tax credits it replaces will stop. 

If you are considering a move to Universal Credit from another benefit, you should also seek independent advice before making a claim for Universal Credit. 

You can also use a benefit calculator to check how much you may get.

If you are a Frontier or cross border worker

Frontier/Cross-border worker is a term used to describe a person who pursues employment in one country while residing in another country.

If you live in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) but work in Northern Ireland you may make a claim to Universal Credit as a frontier/cross border worker.

You can read further information on Frontier and cross border workers claiming Universal Credit or speak with the Universal Credit Service Centre.

You're an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen living in Northern Ireland

If you are a British or Irish citizen living in Northern Ireland and receiving social security benefits or State Pension after the UK left the EU on 1 January 2021 you will continue to receive your benefit payments.  You do not need to do anything.

If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen living in Northern Ireland before 31 December 2020 you can only access social security benefits if you have been granted settled status or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.  The deadline to apply to the scheme was 30 June 2021 for most people, but you might still be able to apply for EU Settled Status. 

Apply for Universal Credit if you are eligible

If you are eligible to claim, you can create an account and apply online for Universal Credit

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:

  • AdviceNI
  • Housing Rights
  • Make the Call
  • Money Helper
  • 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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