FAMILIES on Universal Credit can track their benefit payments through an online portal.
The platform can be found on the Government website and comes with several other tools.
Here’s everything you need to know about it.
How do you log in to Universal Credit?
You can log in to your online diary via www.gov.uk.
Make sure you have your username and password ready in advance.
They were issued to you when you first claimed Universal Credit.
If you have forgotten your details, you can request a reset by entering your email address.
Or you can call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.
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You can also contact NGT via text relay on 18001 and then 0800 328 5644.
There is also a Welsh language helpline available on 0800 328 1744.
What are the benefits of having an online account?
The Universal Credit account is called an online diary and can help you request an advance on your first payment.
An advance helps you make up for the five-week wait between signing up and receiving your first benefit payment.
You can also use your diary to view your statement, report a change in circumstances, add a note to your to-do list, and find out when your next paycheck will be.
Additionally, you can Message your job coach and read their responses, and you can even keep a log of what you did to prepare for or look for work.
The page will also contain your Claimant Commitment – this is what you agree to in order to access the benefit, and you can check it whenever you need.
You can use the Universal Credit online service to make a claim or join your partner’s claim.
Since last February, parents have also been able to request Family Benefit online for the first time since it was launched 47 years ago.
Since the 1970s, families claiming Family Allowance had to fill out a paper form, send it in by post and take up to 16 weeks for their first payment. The complaints process at www.gov.uk now allows payments to be made in around three days.
How do you know if you need Universal Credit?
Universal Credit combines several benefits into one monthly payment.
It replaces Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Working Tax Credit.
People already receiving these benefits will be moved onto Universal Credit between now and March 2025, in a move known as managed migration.
Payment is made up of a standard allowance and any extra amounts that apply to you, for example if you:
- I have children
- Have a disability or health problem that prevents you from working
- Need help paying your rent
You can use a benefits calculator to see how much you could receive.
Find out more about what Universal Credit is and whether you may be eligible to make a claim.
The more you earn, the less you earn, because of the taper system – check out our guide on how it works.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
