Getting ready to claim

Claiming Universal Credit can seem intimidating but getting everything you need ready to make your claim can make things go a lot more smoothly.

There are a few things you will need to sort out in preparation for making a claim.

If you are in work or have just finished working, it might be a good idea to think carefully about timing the start of your claim. You can read information about why this is important on our page ‘When to start your claim for Universal Credit'

When you have claimed Universal Credit, some of your other benefits will stop. If you are getting Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) at the time you claim Universal Credit, you will get two weeks of payments after the day you make your Universal Credit claim. Your tax credits will stop as soon as you claim Universal Credit. If you're getting Council Tax Support, you might need to renew your claim. Any other benefits you get will keep being paid.

Opening your account

Once you’re ready to start your claim, go to the Universal Credit page on the Gov.UK website. First you will need to open an account.

You will see a page with a list of 'to-dos'. You can do these in any order but it is important to check the information you put on each screen before pressing 'continue'.

If you think you have made a mistake when you entered your information, you will have a chance later on to go back and correct it. However, you can’t do this until you have completed all sections of the claim. You might find it helpful to use a pen and paper to make a note of any questions you want to go back to.