Universal Credit (UC) is a new, single payment for working age people who are looking for work or are on a low income.
What Universal Credit (UC) replaces
- Child Tax Credit
- Housing Benefit
- Income based Jobseeker's Allowance
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Working Tax Credit
Working and Universal Credit
With Universal Credit, there is no limit to the hours that you can work. Your Universal Credit payment will reduce gradually, as your own earnings increase. This means you won't lose all your benefits at once if you are on a low income.
Jobhelp from Jobcentre Plus provides help and advice on applying for jobs. It offers practical help on creating a CV and includes advice from employers and recruiters.
Where to get more information about Universal Credit
- Read the Money Advice Service's guide to UC
- Access the 'Looking Local' channel on Sky channel 539 and then press the red button
- Access the 'Looking Local' channel on Virgin channel 233 and then press the red button, or Home > Interactive > Sports, news and info > Looking Local
- Access 'Looking Local' from your internet capable games console
- Access 'Looking Local' on Facebook
- Visit the Universal Credit website
Information for Landlords
The Department for Work and Pensions has created 2 guides to help landlords understand how UC affects them and the safeguards in place:
- FAQs about UC and rented housing - information for private and social landlords
- Support pack for social landlords
For more details, visit the Money Advice Service to learn what landlords need to know if a tenant is claiming UC.
Council Tax Reduction Scheme
To find out if you qualify for help with paying Council Tax, visit our Make a Claim webpage. You can also use our online calculator to see if you’re eligible.