How to claim Universal Credit (UC)
How do I apply for Universal Credit (UC)?
If you have a cancer diagnosis, you may be able to claim a benefit called Universal Credit (UC). This is a benefit for people under State Pension age who are out of work or on a low income.
We are here to help if you have questions about benefits. Call us free on 0808 808 00 00 to talk to a Macmillan money adviser, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Related pages
Apply for Universal Credit online
You can apply for Universal Credit online. Start by creating an online account at GOV.UK.
You will need access to a computer and the internet, an email address and a phone number. If you do not own a computer, visit your local library to access a computer. You could also ask a friend or family member to help.
Once you have set up your account, you can log in at any time to check or update your claim.
Your to-do list
To start your claim, log into your account. The online claim form can take up to 1 hour to complete if you have all the information prepared.
You will be asked questions about you and your financial situation. This part of the claim is called your to-do list.
Your to-do list includes:
- nationality
- housing situation and who lives with you
- work situation
- income and any savings you have
- education and training
- health
- any children or adults you care for
- bank account details.
Once you have finished all the questions in a section, you will not be able to edit your answers until all other sections are completed. You will then need to sign a declaration to confirm that all the information is correct.
Providing information about your health condition
Your to-do list asks whether you have a health condition that affects your ability to work. If you have cancer, you should answer ‘yes’ here. You will be automatically referred for a Work Capability Assessment (WCA). This is used to assess how much your health condition affects your ability to work.
Upload any copies of medical evidence to your online account, if possible.
What information do I need for the application?
Before you start your new claim for Universal Credit, it helps to have certain information and paperwork ready. This will help you to start receiving Universal Credit as soon as possible.
Our checklist below can help make claiming Universal Credit as simple as possible:
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Information to create an account
- Email address.
- Phone number.
- Proof of identity. For example, your passport or driving licence. If you do not have these, you can confirm your identity at the Jobcentre or on the phone.
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General information
- Your date of birth.
- Your full address, including postcode. You will also need to provide proof of address. This could be a letter from your bank or a utility bill.
- Your National Insurance number. This can be found on a payslip, or a letter from HMRC or the DWP. You can also call the National Insurance number helpline on 0300 200 3502. You can still apply for Universal Credit if you do not have a National Insurance number yet or cannot remember it.
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Your living situation
- Who you live with, including information about any children or dependents.
- The number of bedrooms in the property, if you rent.
- The type of property. For example, it may be a private rental, council tenancy or housing association tenancy.
- How much rent or mortgage you pay each month.
- Your rent agreement and the landlord's address and phone number, if relevant.
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Your income and savings
- Where you work.
- Salary.
- A P45 if you have stopped working.
- Your bank, building society or credit union account details. You can request a copy of a bank statement from your bank if you do not have one. If you do not have a bank account, you can use a friend or family member’s account for the first payment. You will need to get your own bank account before your second payment. Learn more about getting a bank account.
- Details of your income, savings, investments, housing costs and any childcare costs.
- Details of any other benefits you are receiving.
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Any children or dependents
- How many children you have.
- Any child maintenance payments.
- If your claim includes children, you will need your Child Benefit Reference number (if you have one). This can be found on a letter from the Child Benefit Office.
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Medical records
- You do not need to provide medical evidence to start your claim, but it is a good idea to gather any letters from the hospital to confirm your cancer diagnosis and treatment plan.
- It might also be helpful to get a fit note from your GP or GP surgery to show that you are not able to work. This is sometimes called a sick note, doctor’s note or statement of fitness for work.
- If you are having hospital treatment, you can ask your cancer doctor or cancer nurse specialist (CNS) for a fit note to cover the time that you are in hospital.
Get help to apply
If you cannot make an online application, you can apply by calling the Universal Credit helpline.
In England, Scotland and Wales:
- Call 0800 328 5644 or 0800 328 1744 for Welsh language. Or use textphone 0800 328 1344.
- If you cannot hear or speak on the phone, use Relay UK on 18001 then 0800 328 5644.
- If you use British Sign Language, use the video relay service.
In Northern Ireland:
- Call 0800 012 1331 or use textphone 0800 012 1441.
- If you use British Sign Language or Irish Sign Language, use the video relay service.
After you apply for Universal Credit
Once you have applied, you will have a meeting, usually at your local Jobcentre. This must be arranged within 10 working days. If you cannot attend the appointment because of your condition or treatment, it is important to let them know. Your claim may be cancelled if you do not do this.
You do not have to have a meeting or assessment if you are claiming under special rules.
At the meeting you talk about your claimant commitment and any assessments you need. You also need to provide proof of identity. You can do this through the online application process or at your meeting. For example, you can confirm your identity by showing your passport or driving licence.
Claimant commitment
Your claimant commitment is a written record of what you agree to do to if you get Universal Credit. You must accept the agreement unless you are terminally ill and applying under special rules. You can refuse to enter into the agreement, but this means you will not be able to claim Universal Credit.
The agreement is based on your individual situation. For example, you may currently have a limited ability to work, but are expected to get better. Your claimant commitment might say you should prepare for work as much as you can.
If you do not keep to your claimant commitment, your benefit could be stopped or reduced. It is important to make sure the agreement reflects what you can and cannot do.
You can ask for your claimant commitment to be reviewed if:
- your circumstances change
- you do not think it fairly reflects your circumstances.
Work capability assessment
A work capability assessment checks how an illness or disability affects your ability to work. It can help decide what your responsibilities are in your claimant commitment. If it shows you have a limited ability to work and do work-related activities, it may help you claim an extra amount of Universal Credit.
In England, Scotland and Wales, the work capability assessment is done by a provider on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. In Northern Ireland, it is done by the Medical Support Services. They will contact you to tell you whether you need an assessment. Assessments can be in person, by video call or on the phone. They will tell you how your assessment will take place.
You can find more information about assessments at GOV.UK.
Capability for work questionnaire (UC50 or ESA50)
In England, Scotland and Wales, before the assessment you complete a questionnaire. This is called a UC50 form if you are only applying for Universal Credit. It is an ESA50 form if you are also applying for new style ESA.
You will be sent the form in the post. You can also download the UC50 form or:
You need a printed copy because it must be signed by a healthcare professional.
The questionnaire asks about:
- health conditions, including cancer
- your treatment
- how your health affects your daily tasks and mental health.
Recording the problems you have every day in a diary can help to show:
- how your condition affects you
- that you have problems looking after yourself.
You can send your diary as supporting evidence along with your claim form. Other evidence could include reports or care plans from your GP, cancer doctor, specialist nurse or other healthcare professionals. Our benefits diary includes an example entry you may find helpful.
It is important you complete and return the questionnaire by the date given to you – this is usually within 4 weeks of receiving it. This is to make sure you get your full payment as quickly as possible. You can find the exact date on the letter included with the form.
You can access the form in different formats, such as Braille, large print, or audio. To request this, contact:
- the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in England, Scotland and Wales
- the Department for Communities (DfC) in Northern Ireland.
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If you are having, waiting for, or recovering from cancer drug treatment or radiotherapy
You may not need to answer all the questions, if cancer is your only health problem and you are having, waiting for, or recovering from one of the following treatments:
- chemotherapy
- immunotherapy
- hormonal therapy
- targeted therapy
- radiotherapy.
The form explains which sections you need to complete.
A healthcare professional, such as your clinical nurse specialist (CNS), must complete part of the form for you. This is to confirm your treatment and how it affects your ability to work.
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If you are having a different type of cancer treatment or also have other health conditions
You will need to complete the questionnaire in full, if:
- you are not having cancer drug treatment or radiotherapy but you are having another treatment, such as surgery
- you are in remission and still have side effects from your cancer or treatment
- you also have other health conditions.
Challenging a decision
If you are unhappy with a decision about Universal Credit, you may be able to ask for it to be reviewed again. Find out more about challenging a benefits decision.
It may be helpful to speak to a welfare rights adviser first. Visit macmillan.org.uk/inyourarea to find out if you can visit a Macmillan welfare rights adviser in person. For more information, call our money advisers on 0808 808 00 00, Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
How to claim Universal Credit FAQs
You might have some more questions about claiming Universal Credit. We have answered some of the most asked questions below.
If you have a question that is not answered below, you can call our Support Line for free on 0808 808 00 00.
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Can Universal Credit be backdated?
Universal Credit can be backdated but only in very specific circumstances. If you think you may be entitled to backdated payments, get advice from a welfare rights adviser.
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Can I get help applying for benefits?
You can contact your local Citizens Advice in England, Scotland and Wales, Advice NI in Northern Ireland, or a benefits advice centre.
You can also contact Help to Claim Advisers for help with applying for Universal Credit:
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How do I close a Universal Credit claim?
If your situation changes and you no longer need to claim Universal Credit, you will need to report this as a change of circumstance in your online account.
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Can Universal Credit help with healthcare costs?
If you receive Universal Credit, you might also be eligible for help with health costs. This includes free prescriptions, dental care and sight tests.
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Can I claim Universal Credit if I'm not a British citizen?
If you are not a British citizen, you will need to check if your immigration status allows you to claim public funds.
You may not be able to get some benefits straight away if you have lived abroad, even if you were born in the UK.
Citizens Advice has information on claiming benefits if you are not a British citizen. You can also speak to our Macmillan money advisers. Our support line has an interpretation service in over 200 languages. Call 0808 808 00 00 and tell us in English the language you want to use.
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Can someone else claim Universal Credit for me?
If you are unable to manage your Universal Credit claim on your own, you can ask someone to help you. You can:
- Ask a person or organisation to act as a 'representative'. This means that they can help you with a certain part of your claim.
- Select an 'appointee' to deal with your Universal Credit claim for you if you are unable to manage your own affairs. This can be another person or an organisation. They can manage all aspects of your claim for the whole duration of the process.
Find out more about claiming on behalf of someone else on GOV.UK.
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How does Universal Credit affect other benefits?
When you start claiming Universal Credit, any other benefits or tax credits it replaces will stop. Universal Credit replaces:
- Income Support
- Housing Benefit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Check your eligibility before making a claim for another benefit.
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Can my landlord see if I claim Universal Credit?
Universal Credit will not tell landlords when tenants make a claim. The tenant will be paid Universal Credit directly and is responsible for paying their landlord.
About our information
This information has been written, revised and edited by Macmillan Cancer Support’s Cancer Information Development team. It has been reviewed by expert medical and health professionals and people living with cancer.
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References
Below is a sample of the sources used in our benefits information. If you would like more information about the sources we use, please contact us at informationproductionteam@macmillan.org.uk
GOV.UK www.gov.uk [accessed May 2025].
NI Direct www.nidirect.gov.uk [accessed May 2025].
Social Security Scotland www.socialsecurity.gov.scot [accessed May 2025].
Macmillan Welfare Rights Team
Reviewer
Date reviewed
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This means it is easy to use, up-to-date and based on the latest evidence. Learn more about how we produce our information.
The language we use
We want everyone affected by cancer to feel our information is written for them.
We want our information to be as clear as possible. To do this, we try to:
- use plain English
- explain medical words
- use short sentences
- use illustrations to explain text
- structure the information clearly
- make sure important points are clear.
We use gender-inclusive language and talk to our readers as ‘you’ so that everyone feels included. Where clinically necessary we use the terms ‘men’ and ‘women’ or ‘male’ and ‘female’. For example, we do so when talking about parts of the body or mentioning statistics or research about who is affected.
You can read more about how we produce our information here.
How we can help
Our specialist money advisers can give you free and confidential advice and help you to find out what benefits and financial support you might be entitled to.