Advice for new refugees: claiming Universal Credit and other benefits

Universal Credit is a monthly benefit paid to you by the government to help with living costs if you are on a low income, looking for work or are unable to work.

You must claim this as soon as possible, as it will take 5 to 6 weeks until you receive any payments. If you do not provide all your ID evidence then it will take longer.

To make your Universal Credit claim online you will need:

• your bank or building society account details
• an email address
• access to a mobile phone

If you do not have these or need help to make a claim, you can contact:

• Citizen's Advice Help to Claim Service
• Universal Credit Helpline

After you have made your claim you will need to prove your identity with one of these items:

• eVisa
• passport
• Application Registration Card (ARC) or Biometric Residence Permit and Home Office decision letter
• birth certificate for children (if you do not have these, a letter from your GP or school will help)

To understand if you are entitled to other benefits see information from Citizen's Advice.

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