Advice for new refugees: claiming Universal Credit and other benefits
Universal Credit is a monthly benefit paid to you by the government to help with living costs if you are on a low income, looking for work or are unable to work.
You must claim this as soon as possible, as it will take 5 to 6 weeks until you receive any payments. If you do not provide all your ID evidence then it will take longer.
To make your Universal Credit claim online you will need:
- your bank or building society account details
- an email address
- access to a mobile phone
If you do not have these or need help to make a claim, you can contact:
After you have made your claim you will need to prove your identity with one of these items:
- eVisa
- passport
- Application Registration Card (ARC) or Biometric Residence Permit and Home Office decision letter
- birth certificate for children (if you do not have these, a letter from your GP or school will help)
To understand if you are entitled to other benefits see information from Citizen's Advice.
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