Universal Credit
How you're paid
Universal Credit is paid once a month, usually into your bank, building society or credit union account.
Your payment can include money for your rent or other housing costs. You鈥檒l usually need to pay this to your landlord.
If you鈥檙e not able to open a bank, building society or credit union account, call the Universal Credit helpline to arrange a different way of getting paid.
Find out how you鈥檒l be paid if .
Your first payment
It usually takes around 5 weeks to get your first payment. If you need money while you wait for your first payment, you can apply for an advance.
Your monthly assessment periods
Universal Credit is calculated based on your circumstances each month. These are called your 鈥榓ssessment periods鈥�. You鈥檒l聽 usually get your Universal Credit payment 7 days after each monthly assessment period ends.
Changes in your circumstances can affect how much you鈥檙e paid for your assessment period. You should report a change of circumstances to get the correct payment.
Your first assessment period starts the day you make a claim.
Example
Sam makes a new Universal Credit claim on 10 September.
Sam鈥檚 first assessment period runs for one month to 9 October, with a new assessment period beginning on 10 October.
They get paid on 17 October and then on the 17th of each month after that.鈥�
Payment dates
After the first payment, you鈥檒l be paid on the same date of every month.
If your payment date is on a weekend or a bank holiday, you鈥檒l be paid on the working day before.
You can see your monthly statement in your online account. This tells you how much Universal Credit you鈥檙e going to get.
If you live in Scotland
You can get paid once or twice a month.
If you鈥檙e making a new claim, you鈥檒l get a notification about how often you want to be paid. You get this after your first payment.
If you鈥檙e already getting Universal Credit and have not had a notification, you can ask your work coach if you can be paid twice a month.
When you鈥檙e paid twice a month your first payment will be for a full month. You鈥檒l get the first half of your second month鈥檚 payment a month after this. The second half will be paid 15 days later. This means there will be about a month and a half between your first payment and the full amount for your second month.
After this, you鈥檒l be paid twice a month.
Example
You get your first payment on 14 December. This payment is for a full month.
If you鈥檙e paid twice a month, you get half of your second payment on 14 January and the other half on 29 January.
You get paid on the 14th and 29th of each month after that.
If you live with a partner
If you both claim Universal Credit, you鈥檒l get one payment each month for your household.
If you live in Scotland and you鈥檝e chosen to be paid twice monthly, you鈥檒l receive 2 payments each month for your household.
Call the Universal Credit helpline if you鈥檙e worried about getting access to this money.
Ask to change how you鈥檙e paid
You can ask to have your Universal Credit paid differently if you need help managing a single monthly payment. This is called an Alternative Payment Arrangement (APA). Having an APA could mean:
- your rent is paid directly to your landlord
- you receive payments twice a month instead of once a month
- you arrange to get a separate payment from your partner
You should contact Universal Credit after you鈥檝e made a claim to ask for an APA. They鈥檒l decide whether you should have an APA based on your circumstances.
You鈥檙e more likely to get an APA if you have things like:
- unpaid rent (also known as being in 鈥榬ent arrears鈥�)
- addiction problems
- mental health issues
- learning difficulties
- experience of homelessness
- experience of domestic abuse