Apply for a Universal Credit advance or hardship payment

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If your payments have been stopped or reduced

Your Universal Credit payments can be stopped or reduced if you get a sanction or fraud penalty.

If so, you might be able to get financial support to help you (or a child or young person you look after) afford:

The support is called a ‘recoverable hardship payment’. You’ll need to pay this back through your future Universal Credit payments.

Eligibility

You must:

  • have reduced your non-essential costs
  • have looked into other ways to get support
  • be able to prove that you need the support

If you’re in a couple, both of you must both agree to getting a hardship payment.

There are additional rules if you’ve been sanctioned.

If you’ve been sanctioned

You must have been sanctioned at 100% (or 50% or more for a couple) of your standard allowance for any amount of time.

You (and your partner if you have one) must also have completed:

  • your work-related requirements in the 7 days before applying
  • any activities you were given to end your sanction (sometimes called a ‘compliance condition’)

When you can apply 

You can only apply once you’ve had a lower or missed Universal Credit payment because of a sanction or penalty.

You’ll need to reapply each time you get a lower or missed payment. You’ll also need to show you’re still eligible.

How to apply 

When you apply, you’ll need to show:

  • what you’ve done to find other types of support 
  • what other income or savings you might have to help pay your costs 
  • what you’ve done to reduce your non-essential costs 
  • which living costs you’re not able to afford

To apply, you can: 

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

When you’ll get your payment 

If your application is accepted, hardship payments are usually paid directly into your bank account on the same day.

Repaying hardship payments

You’ll need to pay back a hardship payment once your sanction or fraud penalty has ended. 

Your Universal Credit payment will be automatically reduced by up to 15% of your standard allowance until you repay the hardship payment.

You can check how much you owe and check when it will be paid back.

Repaying if you no longer claim Universal Credit 

If you’re no longer claiming Universal Credit, DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) Debt Management will be in touch to discuss repaying it at an affordable rate. 

If you’re struggling to repay a hardship payment 

If you cannot afford your hardship payment deductions, you can call DWP Debt Management to discuss your options.  

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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