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Universal Credit is a monthly payment to help with your living costs. You may be able to get it if you鈥檙e on a low income or out of work.

You might get an extra amount of Universal Credit if you have a health condition or disability that limits how much work you can do. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) refers to this as your 鈥榗apability to work鈥�.

Your monthly payment is based on your circumstances, for example your health condition or disability, income and housing costs.

Find out if you鈥檙e eligible for Universal Credit.

If you live in Northern Ireland, go to .

Other support you can get

You may also be eligible for New Style Employment and Support Allowance.

Check if you can get other financial support.

If you鈥檙e nearing the end of life

If you鈥檙e nearing the end of life (for example, due to a life-limiting illness) you might be able to get extra money for Universal Credit.

Find out more about claiming Universal Credit if you鈥檙e nearing the end of life.

When you apply for Universal Credit, you can report if you have a health condition or disability that affects your 鈥榗apability to work鈥�.

This could mean that you:

• need support in work
• need to find suitable work
• are unable to work temporarily or long term

You can still work if you feel able to or if you find suitable work. Find out more about getting Universal Credit if you work.

How to report your health condition or disability

You鈥檒l need to provide details about your health condition, such as:

• medical treatments you鈥檙e receiving
• if you鈥檙e in or expecting to go into hospital
• if you鈥檙e pregnant

If you already claim Universal Credit, you must report any change of circumstances straight away, including:

• changes to your health condition, for example it gets better or worse听
• a new health condition

You can do this in your Universal Credit account.

Fit notes

You must get a fit note (also known as a 鈥榮ick note鈥�) if your health condition or disability affects your capability to work for longer than 7 days.听

You鈥檒l be asked to provide details from your fit note in your account.

You can get a fit note from one of the following healthcare professionals:

• GP or hospital doctor
• registered nurse
• occupational therapist
• pharmacist
• physiotherapist

It can be printed or digital.听

If your health condition or disability affects your capability to work for longer than 28 days, you may need to have a Work Capability Assessment. You must continue to get fit notes until you鈥檝e been sent a decision about your assessment.

When your fit note expires

If your health still affects your capability to work you must get a new fit note when it expires.听

You鈥檒l get a reminder before your fit note expires. The reminder will include the date you need to report a new one by.

You鈥檒l need to update the details with your new fit note in your account. If you do not, you may need to attend an appointment with your work coach to discuss your claimant commitment.

If you do not get a new fit note you may be expected to work or look for work.

If you need a Work Capability Assessment

The Work Capability Assessment is to help decide how much your health condition or disability limits your capability to work.

You might not get an assessment if you earn over 拢793 a month.

If you need an assessment, you鈥檒l get a letter telling you what you need to do.听

Before your assessment, you鈥檒l need to complete a 鈥楥apability for Work鈥� (UC50) health questionnaire. You鈥檒l be able to send copies of other medical information with this, such as treatment plans or test results.

The assessment can be in person, by video call or on the phone.

You can have someone else with you, for example a friend or support worker.听

Before your assessment decision

Until a decision can be made on your Work Capability Assessment, you鈥檒l either:

• get the standard allowance, if you鈥檙e making a new claim听

• continue getting the same Universal Credit amount, if you鈥檙e reporting a change of circumstances

After you鈥檝e reported your health condition or disability or a change in circumstances, you may need to have a Work Capability Assessment.

You might not get a Work Capability Assessment if you earn over 拢793 a month.

If you have a Work Capability Assessment, you鈥檒l be sent a decision afterwards that says if you:

• are fit for work (also known as 鈥榗apable for work鈥�)
• need to prepare to work in the future, but have limited capability for work (LCW)
• have limited capability for work and work related activity (LCWRA)

The decision affects whether you鈥檒l get the extra amount of Universal Credit.

If you鈥檙e fit for work

You鈥檒l need to agree to look for work that is suitable for your health condition.

You鈥檒l get the standard allowance of Universal Credit based on your circumstances.

If you need to prepare to work in the future

You need to prepare to work in the future, but have limited capability for work now. You can work if you feel able to do so.

Your work coach will discuss your situation and agree steps to help you start preparing for work. For example, by writing a CV.

If you have limited capability for work and work related activity

You do not need to look for work or prepare for work. You can work if you feel able to do so.

You may get extra money as well as your standard allowance.

Your claimant commitment

You鈥檒l need to agree to do certain things to keep getting Universal Credit. This is known as your 鈥�claimant commitment鈥�.

Your commitment is based on your situation and may be affected by the decision after your Work Capability Assessment.

Reassessments

You鈥檒l get a letter if you need another assessment in the future.

If you start working, you will not need to have another assessment unless your health condition changes.

You may still get Universal Credit if you work.听

You must report any change of circumstances straight away, including finding or leaving a job.

You can earn up to a certain amount without it affecting the amount of Universal Credit you get. This is called a 鈥榳ork allowance鈥�.

If you earn over 拢793 a month, you might not get a Work Capability Assessment when you apply for Universal Credit or if your circumstances change.

Speak to your work coach or use a benefits calculator to find out how working affects your Universal Credit payment.

If you鈥檙e nearing the end of life (for example, due to a life-limiting illness) you might be able to get Universal Credit more quickly and at a higher rate.

This is sometimes called 鈥榮pecial rules for end of life鈥�.

You may be able to get other benefits if you鈥檙e nearing the end of life.

Eligibility

You鈥檙e usually eligible if:听

• you鈥檙e 16 or older, but under State Pension age
• you live in the UK
• you have 拢16,000 or less in money, savings and investments
• your doctor or medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live

It can be difficult to predict how long someone might live for. If a medical professional has not talked to you about this, you can still ask them to support your claim under the special rules for end of life.

How to claim

Ask a medical professional for form SR1. They鈥檒l either fill it in and give the form to you or send it directly to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Apply for Universal Credit online. When you apply, you鈥檒l be asked if a medical professional has said you might have 12 months or less to live. You鈥檒l also be asked if you鈥檇 like the Universal Credit team to call you to help you make your claim.

You will not need to have a Work Capability Assessment or make a Claimant Commitment.

If you already get Universal Credit

Ask a medical professional for form SR1. They鈥檒l either fill it in and give the form to you or send it directly to DWP.

If you鈥檝e already sent form SR1 for another benefit, for example Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you do not need to send it again.

Report the change online through your Universal Credit account. You鈥檒l be asked if you鈥檇 like the Universal Credit team to call you about your claim. They will explain if there鈥檚 anything else you need to do.

If you get, or are entitled to, the severe disability premium you may be able to get 鈥榯ransitional protection鈥� if you move to Universal Credit.

This is an extra payment to help with your move to Universal Credit. Most people will get this automatically but some will need to apply for it.

Eligibility

You鈥檒l get this payment if all of the following apply:

• you (or your partner) get, or are entitled to, Income Support, income-based Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance (JSA) or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• you get, or are entitled to, the severe disability premium within the month immediately before the first day of your Universal Credit claim
• you鈥檙e still eligible for the severe disability premium at the start of your Universal Credit claim
• you鈥檝e not joined an existing Universal Credit claim

If you鈥檙e in a couple and you get, or are entitled to, the higher severe disability premium rate, then the following also needs to apply in the first month after you claim Universal Credit:

• no one gets Carer鈥檚 Allowance or Carer Support Payment for caring for you or your partner
• no one gets an extra amount on top of their Universal Credit payments for caring for your or your partner

How to claim your transitional protection payment

If you鈥檙e entitled to the transitional protection payment, you鈥檒l get it automatically if your previous benefit was claimed as:

• a single person

• part of a couple and the payments were in your name

This will appear in your Universal Credit account.听

If you separate from your partner and want to claim Universal Credit

You will not automatically get the transitional protection payment if you were part of a couple and:听

• benefit payments were only made in your partner鈥檚 name (either into their bank account or a joint account)

• your partner got, or was entitled to, a severe disability premium as part of a claim for Income Support, income-based JSA or income-related ESA

You need to claim Universal Credit within one month of separating from your partner if you want to also claim transitional protection payment.听

You need to tell the Department for Work and Pensions that you may be eligible to claim a transitional protection payment. Tell them as soon as possible after you claim Universal Credit and within 13 months.

Tell DWP you want to claim your transitional protection payment by either:

• calling the Universal Credit helpline听

• contacting your work coach through your online journal

What you鈥檒l get

If you鈥檙e single you鈥檒l get:

• 拢132.12, if the 鈥榣imited capability for work and work-related activity鈥� element is included in your Universal Credit payment
• 拢313.79, if the 鈥榣imited capability for work and work-related activity鈥� element is not included in your Universal Credit payment

If you鈥檙e in a couple you鈥檒l get:

• 拢445.91, if you get, or are entitled to, the higher severe disability premium rate
• 拢132.12, if you get, or are entitled to, the lower severe disability premium rate and the 鈥榣imited capability for work and work-related activity鈥� element is included in your or your partner鈥檚 Universal Credit payment
• 拢313.79, if you get, or are entitled to, the lower severe disability premium rate and the 鈥榣imited capability for work and work-related activity鈥� element is not included in your Universal Credit payment

Extra amounts

You could get more money in your transitional protection payment if you get, or are entitled to, other disability premiums or the disabled child premium.

If you get other disability premiums

You can get more money in your transitional protection payment if:

• you get, or are entitled to, the enhanced disability premium or the disability premium within the month immediately before the first day of your Universal Credit claim
• you鈥檙e still eligible for the enhanced disability premium or the disability premium at the start of your Universal Credit claim

If you鈥檙e single, you鈥檒l get an extra:

• 拢84, if you get, or are entitled to, the enhanced disability premium
• 拢172, if you get, or are entitled to, the disability premium

If you鈥檙e in a couple you鈥檒l get an extra:

• 拢120, if you get, or are entitled to, the enhanced disability premium
• 拢246, if you get, or are entitled to, the disability premium

If you get the disabled child premium

You might get the disabled child premium as part of your:

• Income Support
• income-based JSA
• Child Tax Credit (called the 鈥榙isabled child element鈥�)

You can get more money in your transitional protection payment if:

• you get, or are entitled to, the disabled child premium within the month immediately before the first day of your Universal Credit claim
• you鈥檙e still eligible for the disabled child premium at the start of your Universal Credit claim
• the lower rate of the disabled child element is included in your Universal Credit payment

You鈥檒l get an extra 拢177 for each qualifying child.

Changes to the amount of transitional protection

Transitional protection reduces over time by the amount of any increase in your Universal Credit. This does not include any increase to pay for childcare costs.

It will end if any of the following apply:

• you鈥檙e a single claimant and you start living with your partner
• you stop living with your partner
• your Universal Credit increases by more than the transitional protection amount
• your earnings fall below the Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) for more than 3 assessment periods (the AET is 拢494 per month for an individual and 拢782 per month for a couple)
• your Universal Credit claim ends

If your Universal Credit stops for less than 3 months because your earnings are too high, you may get transitional protection again when your claim restarts.