Help someone with their benefit claim
Get advice and information about someone’s claim
How you can get advice and information depends on the benefits being claimed. For:
- Universal Credit - you must get the person claiming to follow the ‘explicit consent’ process
- Child Benefit - use the Child Benefit authorisation service
- tax credits - use the tax credit authorisation service
- any other benefits - use the ‘alternative enquiry’ service
What you can use the alternative enquiry service for
You can find out certain information about someone else’s benefit claim, like:
- what stage a claim has reached
- why and how a decision has been made about a claim
- how the value of a claim has been calculated
- what future action will be taken about a claim
- what the next steps are for the person with the claim
You can also tell the helpline about a change in the person’s living situation, for example if they go into hospital. DWP will look into any changes before updating a claim.
What you cannot use the service for
You cannot get personal information about the person claiming benefits, like their:
- address
- date of birth
- bank and building society account details
- National Insurance number
- telephone number
You also cannot use the service to manage someone’s benefit claim, like appealing a decision on their behalf or ending their claim.
Who can use the service
Anyone with a genuine connection to the person claiming benefits can use the alternative enquiry service.
That includes if you’re calling:
- on behalf of a family member or friend
- as part of your job, for example if you’re a social worker, nurse or doctor or you work for an advice or welfare rights organisation
How to use the service
Who you call depends on the benefit. For:
- Attendance Allowance - contact the Attendance Allowance helpline at the Disability Service Centre
- Disability Living Allowance - contact the Disability Living Allowance helpline at the Disability Service Centre
- State Pension - contact the Pension Service
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - contact the PIP enquiry line
- all other benefits (apart from Universal Credit, Child Benefit and tax credits) - contact Jobcentre Plus
Say that you’re looking for an alternative enquiry into someone else’s benefit claim.
The call handler will check you have a genuine connection to the person claiming benefits. That might involve asking you questions about:
- the personal details of that person
- the details of that person’s benefit claim
- your telephone number or email address, if you’re calling as part of your job or on behalf of an organisation
They may also contact the person claiming benefits to check they’re happy for you to use the service.
If you’re able to prove your genuine connection
The call handler will be able to help you.
If you want to use the service again on a later call, you may need to repeat the checks.
If you’re unable to prove your genuine connection
You will not be able to use the service. The call handler may suggest other ways you can help the person with their claim.