Surrey Welfare Rights Unit

Options for Claiming Universal Credit (UC)

If your child will not be able to make or mange a UC claim online, there are two options you can consider:

1. Find someone to help them with the online claim.

This could be you as their appointee or with their consent. All communication will be through their online journal, text messages or emails. A claimant can choose how they will be sent an alert about new messages or information on their online journal.  If you are the appointee you should get the notifications.  Although managing an online claim can be onerous it has the significant advantage of giving instant access to all information about the claim.

2. Make a telephone claim.

A telephone claim is made over the phone using the UC helpline.  Communication about the account will be through letters.  Calls will need to be made to the helpline to provide information.  There is no online access to information related to their claim.  This can make the process of dealing with a UC claim more cumbersome and will inevitably take longer to deal with issues that arise.

As your child is likely to need help to maintain a UC claim whether it is an online or telephone claim, we recommend in most cases an online claim is made as this is the easiest for the person helping to manage.  Please get advice if you would like to consider a telephone claim further