What is Universal Credit (UC)?
What is Universal Credit (UC)?
Universal Credit (UC), is the name of a benefit that some people who do not work, do not work many hours, or who do not earn much money can get.
The money is to help to pay for your living costs.
Living costs include things like
rent
Rent is the money that you pay to live in your home when you have a
tenancy agreement
A Tenancy agreement is where the person renting a house, and the person who owns the house, agree on things like how much rent to pay, who will mend things like the cooker if they go wrong, and whether you are allowed pets.
. Your home belongs to a
landlord
A landlord is the owner of a property which they rent out to tenants. They can be a
council
A council is also called a
local authority
A local authority is also called a council. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live like schools,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
(support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
. They are a group of people who make decisions about some of the things in the area where you live. These include: schools, social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
, a housing association, or an individual person.
, but you have a right to live there as long as you follow the rules that are in your tenancy agreement.
, food and energy bills.
Who can get Universal Credit?
You can get Universal Credit if you:
live in the UK
are 18 or over (you can sometimes get Universal Credit if you are 16 or 17)
have £16 thousand or less.
This is the same amount if you are a couple or a single person.
You can also get Universal Credit if you get a letter saying that your benefit is ending and you need to claim Universal Credit.
Universal Credit money is made up of:
Standard Allowance
This is money for you (and your partner if you live with them).
Extra money
You might get extra money if you:
have children
pay for childcare
have a disability or health condition
care for someone who gets a benefit for their disability or health condition.
You might also get extra money to help to pay for your housing costs.
Housing costs include things like rent.
This
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was first published 06/10/2023
Last updated: 06/10/2023