Apply for a Universal Credit advance or hardship payment

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Get an advance on your first payment

If you need help to pay your bills or cover other costs before you get your first Universal Credit payment, you can apply to get an advance.

The amount you can get depends on your circumstances. The most you can get is the amount of your first estimated payment.

How to apply

You’ll need to:

  • explain why you need an advance
  • verify your identity (you’ll do this when you apply online or on the phone with a work coach)
  • provide bank account details for the advance (talk to a Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach if you cannot open an account)
  • explain any money or savings you have

To apply, you can:

  • update your journal in your Universal Credit account
  • ask a Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach
  • call the Universal Credit helpline

Universal Credit helpline
Telephone: 0800 328 5644
Textphone: 0800 328 1344
Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 328 5644
British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet
Welsh language: 0800 328 1744
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Find out about call charges

You’ll usually find out the same day if you can get an advance.

If you need help

Call the Universal Credit helpline if you need help applying for an advance payment.

Paying back your advance

You must usually pay back the advance within 24 months. You usually start paying it back out of your first payment.

Example

Your first estimated payment is £344 and you get £344 as an advance.

You pay back your advance over 24 months, which is £14.33 per month. You’ll get £329.67 on your first payment date - this is your first payment minus the bit you’re repaying (£344 minus £14.33).

If you’re struggling to repay an advance

If you cannot afford your advance repayments, you can ask for your repayments to be delayed for 3 months. To request this, you can:

  • update your journal in your Universal Credit account
  • ask a Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre or your work coach
  • call the Universal Credit helpline

Repaying if you no longer claim Universal Credit 

If you’re no longer claiming Universal Credit you’ll still need to pay back your advance.

If you move to another benefit, the deductions will usually continue from your payments.

If you move off benefits, DWP Debt Management will be in touch to discuss repaying it. If you want to discuss your repayments you can call DWP Debt Management.

DWP Debt Management
Telephone: 0800 916 0647 
Textphone: 0800 916 0651
NGT text relay – if you cannot hear or speak on the phone: 18001 then 0800 916 0647
Calling from abroad: +44 (0)161 904 1233
Monday to Friday, 8am to 7.30pm
Find out about call charges 

View a printable version of the whole guide

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