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, online over chat or using our British Sign Language (BSL) service.

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 Help to Claim 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.

Chat 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.

You can start a chat by clicking the ‘Talk to an adviser’ button. It will be at the bottom of your screen if an adviser is available.

If there isn’t a button, this means our advisers are busy helping other people. When chat isn’t available you can try again later or call our phone line.

Use our British Sign Language service

You can also make a BSL call using Video Relay Service on your computer, tablet or mobile phone.

Use our BSL service.

How to complain

You can make a complaint if you're unhappy with the service provided.

Check our behaviour policy

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