This guide provides information on the support and financial help that’s available for people who have a disability or health condition and who are claiming Universal Credit.
It covers Work Capability Assessments and how these relate to the Universal Credit claimant commitment.
There’s also information on how Universal Credit supports you if you’re able to work, prepare for work, or may be able to in the future.
Added link to new page on 'Claiming Universal Credit if you’re nearing the end of life'.
20 September 2024
Removed contact details for the Centre for Health and Disability Assessments as the provider of your health assessment is now based on your postcode.
Included a link to find your health assessment provider.
30 August 2024
Added confirmation that you do not need to submit a fit note if you're moving from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit without a break, if you meet the listed criteria.
18 March 2024
Removed "If you’re entitled to free prescriptions through Universal Credit, you must tick the income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance box on the back of your prescription". This is because there is now a Universal Credit checkbox on the back of prescriptions.
14 March 2024
Added that if you are entitled to either the limited capability for work (LCW) payment or the limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) payment, and the carer’s amount, you will not receive both amounts. Instead you will receive the larger of those 2 amounts.
11 March 2024
Removed information that was duplicated, and instead linked to:
www.gov.uk/health-conditions-disability-universal-credit
Added that you usually need to wait 3 assessment periods before getting the limited capability for work and related activity (LCWRA) amount.
3 April 2023
Updated the special rules for end of life content to reflect the change in legislation from 6 months to 12 months for Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance.
4 April 2022
Updated guidance on help you can get to make a claim for Universal Credit. Updated guidance on when you are treated as terminally ill and what you need to do. This has changed to when a medical professional has said you might have less than 12 months to live. It used to be less than 6 months.
15 February 2022
Added call outs to explain a change to the rules for claiming Universal Credit that mean if a medical professional has said you have less than 6 months to live, you will not need a Claimant Commitment or face sanctions.
27 January 2022
From 27 January 2022 you will need to provide medical evidence about your health condition from the eighth day of your claim.
17 December 2021
Added a message about not having to provide fit notes (sick notes) until 27 January 2022 to give GPs more time to work on the coronavirus vaccination boosters.
24 November 2021
Updated the Universal Credit taper rate to 55%.
1 July 2020
Removed the wording 'You will not get a sanction if you cannot keep to your Claimant Commitment because of coronavirus (COVID-19)'.
1 April 2019
Added information about the help to claim service.
13 February 2019
Removed Universal Credit live service telephone details as no longer relevant.
12 December 2018
Updated to show that Universal Credit is now available everywhere in Great Britain.
27 September 2018
Universal Credit live service telephone helpline opening hours changed to 9am to 4pm.
7 September 2018
Content revised to clarify entitlement and conditions for getting Universal Credit.
29 November 2017
Updated guide with new 0800 freephone numbers for Universal Credit.
3 April 2017
Work Capability Assessments and additional payments content revised. Welsh version removed until updated version is available.
26 May 2016
Published revised version (May 2016) - updated to provide the latest information about Universal Credit.
11 April 2016
Updated to reflect changes to Universal Credit from April 2016.
16 February 2015
Revised version with new information about the roll-out of Universal Credit.
23 June 2014
Updated to include the latest information about the expansion of Universal Credit
19 November 2013
Detail updated to include more information about the content of the document.