HAD THE DREADED UNIVERSAL CREDIT LETTER

Hi DC,

Half way down your letter for Managed Migration to UC you should have been given the Citizens Advice Help to Claim phone number which is -
England: 0800 144 8 444

Scotland: 0800 023 2581

Wales: 08000 241 220

I would advise you to phone them and let them organise your new UC claim for you. Citizens Advice will supervise everything until you get your first payment.

Here is more information about the Citizens Advice Help to Claim service.
www.citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/conta...ct-us/help-to-claim/

Let me know how you get on.

David

Hi Via,

The DWP have told Help to Claim that Universal Credit must be Digital by Default. This means that if you have the capacity to go online or use a smart phone then you must do. The exceptions are given here.
" here are various reasons why some people may not be able to manage
their UC claim digitally for example:
• physical or mental ill health or disability
• visual impairments
• lack of basic literacy
• lack of skills and training
• legal limitations such as Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements
(MAPPA) or Terrorism Prevention Investigation Measures (TPIM)
In circumstances such as these claims can be made by phone"

So the DWP have instructed Help to Claim to assist you by advising you how to set up your claim online ( or on your phone ) unless you are exempted for the above reasons. If you are exempted then you don't have to actually input any data yourself ,you just talk it through over the phone ( or if unable to talk this can be done by a support worker ).

Hope this helps,
David

Hi DC,

I thought I would mention that the Citizens Advice Help to Claim is different from the local Citizens Advice branch. Help to Claim is staffed by paid employees who are highly trained. Local Citizens Advice are largely staffed by volunteers and generalist advisers. So by all means phone Help to Claim on the number given in your Migration letter.

David