What is Universal Credit (UC)?
What is Universal Credit (UC)?
Universal Credit (UC), is money that some people can get.
You may be able to get UC if you:
- do not work
- do not work many hours
- or who do not earn much money.
The money is to help to pay for 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 may get Universal Credit if you:
- live in the UK
- have £16,000 or less in savings.
If you live with a partner both your savings have to be £16,000 or less.
- are age 18 or over.
Some people who are age 16 or 17 can get UC if they:
- have a disability, or
- care for a child, or
- care for a disabled adult, or
- live alone without help.
For more information about getting UC if you are 16 or 17, visit the government website.
You can also get Universal Credit if you get a letter called a
Migration Notice
A migration notice is a letter saying that one of your benefits will stop and you need to claim a different benefit.
.
The letter will say that your benefit is ending and you need to claim Universal Credit.
How much money you get is based on:
- if you have a disability or a health condition
- who you care for
- if you pay rent.
This
Easy Read
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was first published 06/10/2023.
Last updated: 22/04/2025.