Contact us about a Universal Credit application

Our Help to Claim advisers can help you with the early stages of your Universal Credit claim. You can talk to them on the phone, or online over chat.

Our advisers can help you:

• work out if you can get Universal Credit

• fill in the Universal Credit application 

• prepare for your first Jobcentre appointment 

• check your first payment is correct 

You can read our online advice on Universal Credit at any time.

Call our national phone line

You can contact an adviser through our free Help to Claim phone service. Advisers are available 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday:

England: 0800 144 8 444

Scotland: 0800 023 2581

Wales: 08000 241 220

Call the Wales number if you’d like to speak to a Welsh language adviser. 

Ask for a translator if you need to get advice in a different language. 

Relay UK - if you can't hear or speak on the phone, you can type what you want to say:

Relay UK (England): 18001 then 0800 144 8 444

Relay UK (Wales): 18001 then 08000 241 220

You can use Relay UK with an app or a textphone. There’s no extra charge to use it. Find out how to use Relay UK on the Relay UK website.

Talk to us online

You can also chat with an adviser online about your Universal Credit application. Chat is usually available 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. It's not available on public holidays.

If you can’t see a chat button, it means no advisers are available. Try again later or call our phone line.

If you’re unhappy with the service you’ve received

You can use our complaints procedure if you want to complain about our Help to Claim service.

Read our behaviour policy

Our staff have the right to do their jobs without being treated badly - find out how we deal with unacceptable behaviour.