Universal credit

• Online handbooks
• Articles
• Tools and templates
• Legal test cases
• Further information
• Early Warning System
• eLearning

Online handbooks

Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook (for subscribers):

• Part 2: Universal credit 

Mental Health and Benefits Handbook:

• Chapter 5: Universal credit  

Benefits for Students in Scotland Handbook:

• Chapter 10: Universal credit 

Articles

The most recent articles on universal credit (UC) from our Welfare Rights Bulletin (WRB):

• LCWRA and migration to UC (June 2024)
• National insurance credits for limited capability for work (June 2024)
• UC: claims and defects (April 2024)
• The transitional element in practice – an update (April 2024)
• Right to reside after AT (April 2024)
• Ever increasing: conditionality and sanctions (February 2024)
• DWP’s Targeted Case Review (February 2024)
• Refugees, UC and the DWP (February 2024)
• Extra! Extra! Transitional SDP element additions (February 2024)
• A guide to dignity? (December 2023)
• 'Backdating' and managed migration to UC (December 2023)
• The transitional element in practice (December 2023)
• Managing with migration to UC? (October 2023)
• You reap what you code (August 2023)
• Managed migration – moving to universal credit (August 2023)
• Untidy tenancies: still a mess (August 2023)
• UC childcare costs – onwards and upwards? (August 2023)
• Managed migration – transitional protection (June 2023)
• Tax credits and managed migration (June 2023)

Tools and templates

Our universal credit tools include tools which help you draft mandatory reconsideration requests and help you check your UC work-related requirements (for subscribers):

• Universal credit work capability assessment: mandatory reconsideration (free to access until 28 June 2024)
• Checking your universal credit work-related requirements
• Universal credit sanctions: mandatory reconsideration

Check our other universal credit tools and appeal submission and letter templates:

• Universal Credit: tools and templates

Legal test cases

Some of our recent test cases:

• Destitute EU nationals with pre-settled status can rely on EU Charter of Fundamental Rights to obtain UC: SSWP v AT (AIRE Centre and IMA Intervening) [2023] EWCA Civ 1307, 8 November 2023. The Supreme Court refused the SSWP's application for permission to appeal this decision on 7 February 2024.
• Following our successful test case regarding universal credit advances for those awaiting a national insurance number, amending regulations came into force on 1 April 2024 which reverse its effect, see: R (Bui) v SSWP [2023] EWCA Civ 566, 25 May 2023.
• There is no requirement to request backdating before a claim to universal credit is determined: AM v SSWP (UC) [2022] UKUT 242 (AAC), 1 September 2022.

Our other test cases:

• Test cases: universal credit

Further information

Our UK-wide pages on UC

• Universal credit and sanctions
• Tax credits - moving on to universal credit 
• Universal credit - the basics

Our Scottish factsheets and pages on UC:

• Universal credit Scottish choices 
• Universal credit factsheets

Early Warning System

Our Early Warning System (EWS) bulletins for England and Wales cover:

• The limited capability for work related activity element - when it should start (July 2023)
• Problems with the UC child element for multiple children (March 2023)

The EWS gathers information and evidence on the impact of changes to the benefit system. Send us details of cases:

• Early Warning System

eLearning

Our free eLearning courses for advisers with existing benefit knowledge:

• Universal credit and backdating
• Moving home and the UC housing cost element
• Migrating to UC and the severe disability premium
• Mixed-age couples

Our free introductory level eLearning: 

• Universal credit