Going to your Universal Credit interview

The last step of applying for Universal Credit is to have an interview with your 'work coach' - the person you'll meet regularly as part of your claim. Before then you’ll need to set up a Universal Credit account.

After you’ve set up your Universal Credit account, you’ll need to fill in the application form.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)  will tell you if your interview will be at the Jobcentre or over the phone - check your online account for messages. Your work coach will check your details and ask you to agree your ‘claimant commitment’ - this sets out what tasks you'll do regularly to get Universal Credit.

If you couldn’t use the government's online system to prove your identity, you’ll have to answer more questions at your interview to prove your identity.

Book your interview

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After you’ve applied online, you’ll need to book an interview at your local Jobcentre. You’ll need to book it within a month. If you don’t arrange the interview within a month you might have to start your application for Universal Credit again.

To book your interview, you'll first need to check the ‘to-do list’ section of your Universal Credit account. There will be an item on there called ‘prepare for your appointment.’  

You’ll need to choose which documents you’ll bring to your interview. Select ‘I do not have any of these’ if you don’t have anything. This will mean you’ll need to answer some more questions at your interview. 

The DWP might phone you to book your interview. If they don’t phone you, you’ll need to phone them within a month. You’ll see the phone number you need to book your interview after you’ve chosen which evidence you’ll take with you.

If you can’t find a phone number or you can't go to your interview, call the Universal Credit helpline. You’ll need your National Insurance number when you call. You can find your National Insurance number on a:

• payslip

• letter from HMRC

• letter from the DWP

Tell the person you speak to if you’ve had problems proving your identity online. They’ll tell you what you’ll need to take with you.

Getting a call about your claim

When you apply for Universal Credit, the DWP might call you about your application - they’ll use a withheld, 0800 or private number. If they're planning to call you, they'll send you a message on your online account.

The DWP will let you know it’s them by mentioning your postcode and part of your Universal Credit account number during the call. Ask for these things if they’re not mentioned and hang up if you don’t get them - it might be a scam call.

Check your online account

Log in to your account to check the details of your interview. They’ll be under the section called your ‘to-do list’.

Whenever you complete something on your to-do list, you’ll be able to find it under the section called ‘journal’. This is so you have a record of what you’ve done.

You can use your journal to:

• contact the DWP and your work coach

• add and upload evidence such as information on your health or childcare costs

You should check your journal regularly so you don’t miss any messages from the DWP or your work coach. Try to answer any messages from your work coach as soon as possible.

Gather everything you need for your interview

You'll have to take documents that prove you gave the right details in your online application. Take any documents which you said you'd take with you as well as anything else that helps prove your identity.

You won't get your first Universal Credit payment until you've brought all the documents with you.

Check what you need to take with you

It’s important to have the right evidence when you meet your work coach. You can use a checklist to remind you what you need to take with you to your interview 70.4 KB .

Don’t worry if you don’t have all the documents you need - you’ll need to answer some more questions at the Jobcentre.

If you don't take all your documents, you'll need to take them to your Jobcentre within 1 month of your interview. 

You can also post the extra documents to the Jobcentre if you can't take them on the day - ask for the address at your interview.

If you don’t have the extra documents, tell your work coach - they might be able to ask you extra questions instead. Your Universal Credit payments won’t start until you’ve submitted everything you can.

If you live with your partner they'll have their own interview. They'll also need to take documents proving their details - even if you've already proved some things, like your address.

If you need help preparing for your interview, you can talk to an adviser.

Take a photo ID

You’ll need to take at least one photo ID to the Jobcentre. Photo IDs include your:

• passport

• driving licence

• national identity card if you're an EU citizen 

If you don't have any photo ID, the Jobcentre might ask you some extra questions instead. You won’t need to prepare for these but your interview will take longer than normal, so it's better to take ID if you have it.

If you need to buy new ID, you can ask your work coach about using money from the Flexible Support Fund.

Take your housing details

If you rent privately, you’ll need to prove how much rent you pay and what your landlord’s address is - take your rental agreement or a recent rent statement. Your rental agreement might be called a 'tenancy agreement', 'licence agreement' or 'written statement of your occupation contract'.

If you don't have any of these, ask your landlord for a copy of the agreement or for a letter with details of your agreement.

If you rent from your local council or housing association, you don’t need to take evidence of your housing costs to your interview. You’ll have entered details of your housing costs in your online application - the DWP will get in touch with your landlord to check those details are correct.

If you have your own home, you’ll need to provide evidence of your mortgage or loan. This could be a mortgage agreement or bank statements showing the payment of a mortgage.

Take your bank details

You'll need to give details of your bank, building society or credit union account. This could be your bank card or a bank statement. If you don't have any bank statements you can ask your bank for one - you might have to pay a small fee.

If you’ve used a friend or family member’s bank account for your first payment, it’s best to ask your work coach what to do at your appointment.

If you have internet banking you can print a statement from your online account.

Take information about your income and savings

You'll need details of how much you earn from work. You could take recent payslips, or accounts if you're self-employed. If you've left work, take your P45. You should also take evidence of:

• any income that’s owed to you, such as pay from working overtime

• any details of work you’re going to start

• any income that's not from work, like from a pension or insurance plan

• any other benefits you're getting, such as benefits letters or a bank statement

• any savings you have - and a bank statement to show the details

• any other 'capital' you have, like shares or property

If you don't have the right documents

Don’t worry if you don’t have all the documents you need - take as many as you can.

You’ll still be able to claim Universal Credit, but you’ll need to answer a few more questions when you go to the Jobcentre for your interview.

Call the Universal Credit helpline before your interview and explain why you won't be able to bring the right evidence. You might be able to get more time, for example if you need to order new copies of any documents.

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It’s best to call from the phone number you gave the DWP when you set up your Universal Credit account. You'll have a shorter wait and might be put through to the same person who handled previous calls you've made.

Think about what you'll say at the interview

You’ll need to agree what work tasks you need to do in return for Universal Credit - this is called your ‘claimant commitment’. You’ll agree this with your work coach at your interview and sign if you agree.

It’s important to be as open and honest as possible about your situation so your work coach understands what you can and can’t do.

Explain what work you can do

Your work coach will ask you about your skills and the type of job you're looking for. If you have a job, you might be expected to look for a better paid job or work more hours. They might ask you:

• what qualifications and experience you have - take your CV or any training or qualification certificates to the interview

• how much you want to earn - tell them what you've earned in previous jobs

• how many hours you can work each week - give your work coach a good reason if you can't work full-time, like if you've got health problems or caring responsibilities

• where you could work - explain anything that limits where you can travel, for example if you don't have a car

You can get careers advice and help looking for work on the National Careers Service website.

Tell your work coach about your situation

Tell your work coach about anything that affects your ability to work or look for work. Some of these things might be hard to talk about, but it's worth discussing them as they affect what you'll have to do to get Universal Credit.

Tell your work coach if you:

• have children

• have a disability or a health condition

• look after someone with a disability

• had a partner, child or young person who’s died in the last 6 months

• are being treated for a drug or alcohol problem

• find it difficult to read or write

• are homeless

• have to do jury service

• will struggle to pay for travel - your work coach might be able to give you money to help

Tell your work coach if you’ve experienced domestic abuse in the last 6 months - you might not have to take on any work-related requirements for 13 weeks.

Agree your claimant commitment

After you’ve told your work coach about your situation, they’ll tell you what ‘work related activity group’ you’ll be in. Each group has different tasks to get ready for work - they could be applying for jobs or updating your CV.

Your work coach will write your tasks on your claimant commitment.

Make sure your claimant commitment is right for you

If you feel like you can’t do any of the tasks on it your claimant commitment, tell your work coach.

Explain to them why you’ll struggle to complete the tasks. Ask them to consider changing the tasks you have to do or how often you have to do them. If you have a health condition or caring responsibilities, you could ask your work coach to reduce the number of hours you’re expected to look for work.

Your work coach has to consider your requests and be reasonable. If they don’t change your claimant commitment, you can ask for a different member of staff to review the decision.

When you get the final claimant commitment, you need to accept it within a week. If you don't accept it in time, they'll close your claim.

If you’ll struggle to complete the work-related activities in your claimant commitment, you might be able to change them. Find out how to change your claimant commitment.

Ask about the Flexible Support Fund

The Flexible Support Fund is money you might get to help you pay for things like:

• travel costs

• training courses

• childcare costs

• a mobile phone

• interview clothes

• identity documents

You won’t need to pay the money back. Make sure you tell your work coach why it would help as they don’t have to give it to you.

You’ll need to have signed your claimant commitment and can only use the money for something agreed with your work coach.

After your interview

You’ll usually get your first payment 5 weeks after you submitted your claim online.

If you haven't sent all your evidence or agreed your claimant commitment, do this as soon as possible - if you don't, you might have to make a new claim.  

If you don't think you'll have enough money to live on while you wait for your first payment, you can ask for an advance payment of Universal Credit. The advance payment is a loan - you’ll have to pay it back, but you won’t need to pay any interest.

You’ll usually get a single Universal Credit payment every month. This will be paid directly into your bank, building society or credit union account. Find out how Universal Credit is paid.

If you're struggling with money, find out what help you can get with debt or rent arrears when you've applied for Universal Credit.

If you're struggling to pay for food, find out how to get help from a food bank.

Tell the DWP if anything changes between your interview and your first payment, for example you get a new job or you move house. Check which changes you need to report.

If you have pre-settled status or settled status

The DWP might ask for proof of your pre-settled status or settled status by adding a message to your journal.

If the DWP ask for proof, they’ll tell you how to give it to them - you might need to upload it to your journal. 

You must give the DWP proof within 1 month. Your payments might be stopped if you miss the 1 month deadline.

You can give the DWP a share code so they can check your status online. You can get a share code on GOV.UK.

Check what other benefits you can get

If you pay council tax, the council might reduce how much you have to pay - check if you can get Council Tax Reduction. Most people who get Universal Credit can claim this too.

You might also be able to get other benefits too - for example, if you’re a carer or have a long-term health condition.

You can use the free Turn2us or Entitledto benefit calculators to check which benefits you can get. You’ll need to be a British or Irish citizen to use the calculator.

If you have children, check if they can get free school meals.

If you're struggling with living costs, there are things you can do to save money. You can check how to get help with the cost of living.

If you're finding it hard to pay your bills, there's help you can get. You can find out more about getting help with your bills.

If your application is unsuccessful

The DWP will send a message to your online account if your application is unsuccessful. If you think the decision is wrong, you can ask the DWP to reconsider your application.