Is Universal credit really difficult to claim ?

[Isitreallyhard]

Or is it relatively straightforward?

Do you always have to go for a face to face appt?

Is the online application hard to do ? Does it take a long time? If you made a mistake can you go back and amend ?

How quickly do they pay an advance ?

Do you need to show a lot of supporting documents? Eg birth certificate, documents to show you can’t work etc , rent agreement and do you have to give bank statements if so how far back ?
Many thanks

It's not really difficult o claim if you can use a computer or smartphone. You can usually verify your ID online if you have passport, driving license etc so may not need an appointment at the job centre. You can usually get an advance within a few days if elements have been verified. If you pay rent you will need to upload tenancy agreement unless it's council or HA in which case they can sometimes get the information they need themselves. There shouldn't be any need to show bank statements unless you have savings over 6k or assets.

Wow, so you don't need to show bank statement to prove you have not got money on bank over £6k. No wonder fraud occurs.

I guess they can ask if they want to or suspect you are lying. They can do compliance checks if they suspect someone is not telling the truth.

Do they accept provisional license as that’s the only photo ID that I have ?

i have an iPhone so will that be ok ? I was worried if it had to be a laptop as I only have my phone !

Im honestly worried about doing it wrong or it being super complicated as I’m dyslexic and have discalculia.

Im anxious about getting all the paperwork in order in case not having something delays it. Maybe I should print bank statements just in case I think I have everything else but I feel so stressed .

Will they pay an advance within a week as once I do the application I know the tax credit are stopped immediately and we have nothing else so I’m worried if it takes too long

Yes i assumed they’d need to see a few months of statements

If you are worried about making the claim and need help, then Citizens advice have a team of people who can help you set up the claim and will tell you exactly what you need and what will be accepted. You can contact them on 0800 1448444.

Thanks I’ll do that. I’ve been putting it off as so anxious I’ll mess it up somehow or that it’ll be too complicated for me

When you put in a benefits claim you have to agree to lots of conditions, one of them is that DWP can check you bank accounts at anytime. They can just contact the bank and ask themselves. They can easily find out about any accounts you have that you don't tell them about.

I used to work in a bank HO, I spent days replying to DWP requests for information on bank accounts.

It’s pretty straightforward
if you are working they verify your wages through HMRC so it’s a lot easier

The application process for Universal Credit can be time-consuming, requiring individuals to provide detailed information about their finances, employment status, and housing situation. This information must be submitted online. Also what happened to me when i was on it before they paid me more than they should of which I didn't know about and then I had to pay it back which was terrible as it wasn't my fault.

Bear in mind OP that normally it is about five weeks until your first payment. That includes an assessment period of 4 weeks.If you get an advance that will be deducted at an agreed rate from any future payments. Payment is not awarded from the date your make your claim.

But is it correct that I could get the full
amount as an advance quote soon after application then the payment again after th 5 week assessment period

And that advance I have to pay back over 24 months ? I think that’s what happens I spoke to CAB today but I was getting confused

So I think what I mean is for example

week 1 application week
week 2 advance of full award
week 5 first payment same amount as advance just minus a repayment for the advance ?

Yes that's basically right, however your advance isn't necessarily your full award amount, but it will still be enough to get by on untill first award date.
But everything else is correct.

Yes, pretty much. The application process is very easy. Once they have verified your identity (most can do this online), and they have all your info, they calculate an estimate of your monthly payment. They then notify you of the maximum advance you can take. We had our advance approved about 1½ hours after our identities were confirmed. The payment was in our account within 2 days and we pay it back over 2 years.

It's very straightforward for us.

What is the most they can do for the advance ?

that depends what elements you will be eligible for. It will be different for everyone, it will depend if you have rent to pay, kids etc.

Yes rent and have children, we both get carers allowance and have no savings so I’m hoping they can give the full or neatly full advance

Isitreallyhard just so you’re aware if you and your partner both receive carers allowance this will be deducted £ for £ as well. They take off £302.03 for 1 CA claim so if both of you are claiming it they will deduct £604.06 from your award. You may be eligible for carers element of UC though which is £168.81 and you should both be able to claim that