Universal Credit Live

The DWP have just sent out this press release: 

Universal Credit is being introduced in stages across Great Britain by postcode area. Whether you can claim it and the way you manage your claim depends on where you live and your personal circumstances.

Full service

Universal Credit full service is available to all types of claimants in certain areas of Great Britain.

You’re in a full service area if it has an asterisk (*) in the list of jobcentre areas where couples and families can claim Universal Credit.

You will have an online Universal Credit account to manage your claim. You can use your account to report changes, send messages to your work coach and find support.

Eventually all Universal Credit claims will be on the full service and you will have a Universal Credit online account.

Live service

Universal Credit live service is available to:

• all single people across Great Britain, who are not in a full service area
• couples and families with children who live in an area without an asterisk (*) in the list of jobcentre areas where couples and families can claim Universal Credit

You will manage your claim by phone.

Live service claims will eventually move to the full service. You will be notified when this will happen and what you need to do at that time.

Claiming Universal Credit

When you make your claim you’ll be asked for your postcode and then be directed to the right service for you to complete your claim online.

In both services you will always have access to a work coach who can help you with things like:

• finding work
• increasing the hours you work
• getting more prepared for when you are able to work by learning new work skills or life skills

Helping you to improve your income is central to the Universal Credit service.

Reporting changes

How you report changes affecting your Universal Credit claim, such as changing address or adding a child to your claim, will depend on which service you use.

Full service areas

Use your Universal Credit online account to report changes by answering the questions on screen. The online service will also explain how to report changes you cannot report online at the moment.