Universal credit payments

Check your universal credit (UC) statements each month.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) sometimes gets things wrong.

For example, they might make a mistake:

• when you first apply for UC

• if you tell them about a change

Checking your monthly statements helps you to spot mistakes early.

How to find your statements

Sign in to your UC account on GOV.UK

You need your username and password. If you forget these, they can be sent to your email.

Scroll to the section that says 'Payments and advances'. Choose 'payments' to see your statements for the last 6 months.

Choose the statement you want to check. At the top, it has your:

• monthly payment

• usual payment date

• the calendar month that the payment covers

Assessment periods and payment dates

The month that the payment covers is called an 'assessment period'. It starts on the date you make your claim, but you do not get the payment until the next month.

Your first payment date is usually around 5 weeks after you apply.

After that, it is usually on the same date each month. For example, the 10th of every month.

You get your payment early if your usual payment date is on a weekend or bank holiday. Your UC should go into your bank account on the working day before.

Your monthly payment might change each month. For example, if you work overtime or are on a zero hours contract.

How your monthly payment is worked out

Your statement tells you:

• the most you could get

• how much is taken off in deductions

Check your statements to make sure you get the right amount of money.

Check the most you could get

Look at your total before deductions. It's in bold in a grey box.

In this example, a couple have 2 children and do not get any other UC elements.

How much you get depends on your personal situation.

Your amounts might look different to this example even if your situation is similar.

Your standard allowance might be lower because you're under 25.

You might get less money for your children if they were born after 5 April 2017. Or you might get more money if you have a disabled child.

Standard allowances and extra elements

Everyone gets a standard allowance. How much you get depends on your age and if you claim as a single person or a couple.

Table: Standard allowances from April 2024

Extra elements

Your UC statement could also show extra amounts to help with the costs of:

• housing

• childcare

• caring responsibilities

• a disability or serious health condition

More about standard allowances and extra elements.

You could also use a free online calculator to check what you should be getting:

• entitledto benefits calculator

• better off calculator (Policy in Practice)

Understand any deductions

You might have money taken off your monthly UC payment. Most people do.

Check your total deductions. They will show in bold in a grey box.

The information above this box tells you how the DWP have worked this out.

In this example, a family have deductions of £1,171.84 because they are working.

This means their UC payment goes down to £67.01.

Why money could be taken off

The DWP might take money off because:

• you're working

• you're paying off debts

• your benefit is sanctioned

• you're affected by the benefit cap

• you have savings or investments

• you own a property that you do not live in

If you get help with rent

Most tenants get a housing element as part of your monthly payment.

Your housing element might not cover all of your rent because of:

• the bedroom tax

• housing cost contributions

• local housing allowance (LHA) rates

You still need to pay your full rent to your landlord.

Sometimes the housing element is paid direct to your landlord.

You still need to pay any rent not covered by your housing element yourself.

If your payment looks wrong

You can:

• leave a message in your UC journal

• call the UC helpline on 0800 328 5644

Do both of these things in case your work coach does not see your message.

Sometimes mistakes are fixed quickly.

Ask for a written explanation

You only need to do this if the payment is not sorted out or explained to you.

You must ask for this within 1 month of the statement date.

Leave a message in your journal so there's a record that you've done this.

Or you can send a letter to: Freepost DWP UNIVERSAL CREDIT FULL SERVICE.

You do not need to pay for postage.

Ask for a review

You can ask the DWP to look at their decision again if you still think it's wrong. This is called a 'mandatory reconsideration'.

A benefits adviser could help. Find out where to get benefits advice.

Citizens Advice have more on challenging a universal credit decision.