Help someone with their benefit claim

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1. Overview

You can help someone by:

  • getting advice and information about their claim - you need to have a genuine connection to the person claiming benefits, for example if they鈥檙e your family member, friend or neighbour, or you鈥檙e helping them as part of your job
  • managing their claim for them - you鈥檒l need to have 鈥榳ritten authority鈥� to do this, or have the person claiming benefits with you when you call a helpline

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

2. Get advice and information about someone鈥檚 claim

How you can get advice and information depends on the benefits being claimed. For:

What you can use the alternative enquiry service for

You can find out certain information about someone else鈥檚 benefit claim, like:

  • what stage a claim has reached
  • why and how a decision has been made about a claim
  • how the value of a claim has been calculated
  • what future action will be taken about a claim
  • what the next steps are for the person with the claim

You can also tell the helpline about a change in the person鈥檚 living situation, for example if they go into hospital. DWP will look into any changes before updating a claim.

What you cannot use the service for

You cannot get personal information about the person claiming benefits, like their:

  • address
  • date of birth
  • bank and building society account details
  • National Insurance number
  • telephone number

You also cannot use the service to manage someone鈥檚 benefit claim, like appealing a decision on their behalf or ending their claim.

Who can use the service

Anyone with a genuine connection to the person claiming benefits can use the alternative enquiry service.

That includes if you鈥檙e calling:

  • on behalf of a family member or friend
  • as part of your job, for example if you鈥檙e a social worker, nurse or doctor or you work for an advice or welfare rights organisation

How to use the service

Who you call depends on the benefit. For:

Say that you鈥檙e looking for an alternative enquiry into someone else鈥檚 benefit claim.

The call handler will check you have a genuine connection to the person claiming benefits. That might involve asking you questions about:

  • the personal details of that person
  • the details of that person鈥檚 benefit claim
  • your telephone number or email address, if you鈥檙e calling as part of your job or on behalf of an organisation

They may also contact the person claiming benefits to check they鈥檙e happy for you to use the service.

If you鈥檙e able to prove your genuine connection

The call handler will be able to help you.

If you want to use the service again on a later call, you may need to repeat the checks.

If you鈥檙e unable to prove your genuine connection

You will not be able to use the service. The call handler may suggest other ways you can help the person with their claim.

3. Manage someone's claim for them

You can manage someone鈥檚 claim for them if you have 鈥榳ritten authority鈥�. This includes:

You can help them with any type of benefit claim. You鈥檒l be able to do things like appealing a decision on their behalf or ending their claim.

If you do not have written authority

You can still manage a claim by calling the helpline for the benefit. The person claiming the benefit will need to be with you when you call to complete security checks and agree to any decisions.

Which helpline you use depends on the benefit. For: