Universal credit has been rolled out to include Dundee from 8 November 2017.  This means that it can be claimed by families with children, people with health conditions and people who are in work as well as job seekers.

Universal Credit (UC) replaces:

• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Jobseekers Allowance (Income based)
• Employment Support Allowance (Income related)
• Working Tax Credits
• Child Tax Credits

If you are currently receiving one of the above benefits, there are certain changes in your household circumstances that can trigger a new claim for UC.

To apply for UC you must have a bank account and email address.  When you claim remember to include details of your rent so that your housing costs are included in your claim as we will not get housing benefit paid direct to us.

You will be given an online account to manage known as a Journal which you will be advised by DWP how and when to access.

There will be an approximate wait of 6 weeks before you receive any money so please contact Richard, our Welfare Officer on Tel No. 01382 903545 as there may be financial assistance available and he can refer you to the Food Bank if you wish.

Our leaflet here has lots of useful information in it about where you can get assistance.

People claiming UC and living in Scotland can choose to:

• Be paid monthly or twice monthly and;
• have the housing costs in their award of Universal Credit paid direct to their landlord

Further information can be found here.

If you don’t have a computer or laptop at home, free access and wifi will be available shortly for you to use in our office at 147 Fintry Drive.  We are also running free computer classes in our Community Flat in Fintryside and hope to run extra classes in our Retirement Community Lounges in the near future.  Please contact the Customer Service Team for more information (01382 903545).