Universal Credit
Universal credit (UC) is now available across the UK. As a result, HMRC state that most people can no longer make brand new claims for tax credits and other benefits that UC replaces, however, there are some exceptions to this.
Existing tax credit claimants are currently unaffected by the roll-out of UC unless they choose to make a UC claim, have a change of circumstances that ends their tax credit claim but they need to continue claiming similar support, or they need to make a new claim for another benefit that UC has replaced (such as housing benefit).
This section of the website explains who can claim UC including how it affects existing tax credit claimants, gives an overview of the entitlement rules of UC and links to helpful UC guidance and leaflets.
Latest updates
New Upper Tribunal decision (2 December 2024) KL by MR v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (UC) [2024] UKUT 392 (AAC) | UA-2023-000701-USTA - Student’s universal credit claim, which would have been successful under regulation 14 exception but for the DWP’s delay in completing a work capability assessment, was correctly refused by tribunal >> More universal credit case law
New Upper Tribunal decision (10 December 2024) GA v Secretary of State for Work & Pensions (UC) [2024] UKUT 380 (AAC) | UA-2024-000557-USTA - Refusal of universal credit unlawfully discriminated against claimant with pre-settled status who was unable to claim a 'Destitution Domestic Violence Concession' in 2022 >> More universal credit case law
New Court of Appeal decision (2 December 2024) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v Versnick and Another | [2024] EWCA Civ 1454 - Court of Appeal holds that claimant could rely on social assistance benefits paid to his partner in order to demonstrate self-sufficiency where his presence did not increase entitlement >> More universal credit case law
New Upper Tribunal decision (7 November 2024) CK v Secretary of State for Work & Pensions | [2024] UKUT 331 (AAC) | UA-2024-000269-USTA - Need for there to be a causal relationship between the circumstances on which a request for universal credit backdating is based and subsequent delay in making the claim, and for the delay to have been reasonable >> More universal credit case law
New Upper Tribunal decision (28 October 2024) PHC v Secretary of State for Work & Pensions | [2024] UKUT 340 (AAC) | UA-2023-000802-USTA - Claim may be disallowed if identification is not authenticated according sections 1(1A) and 1(1B) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 >> More universal credit case law
New Upper Tribunal decision (10 October 2024) SO v Secretary of State for Work & Pensions | [2024] UKUT 305 (AAC) | UA-2022-001601-USTA - Student’s unearned income for purposes of universal credit assessed as if maximum available student loan had not been reduced on account of Welsh Government maintenance grant >> More universal credit case law
New Upper Tribunal decision (19 September 2024) CD v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | [2024] UKUT 256 (AAC) | UA-2023-000776-UHC - Regulations providing that only one of two separated parents may receive a housings costs element that takes into account a child for whom they have shared care are not discriminatory >> More universal credit case law
New Upper Tribunal decision (30 August 2024) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v VB and another | [2024] UKUT 212 (AAC) | UA-2021-000531-USTA - Claimant had right to reside on basis of having taken sufficient steps towards setting up business to be considered self-employed or, alternatively, on basis of 'Brey' analysis of self-sufficiency >> More universal credit case law
New Northern Ireland Commissioner's decision (30 August 2024) DJ v Department for Communities | [2024] NICom21 | C4/24-25(UC) - Appeal tribunal proceedings that determined a WCA appeal in the absence of the claimant and without the UC50 questionnaire was procedurally unfair >> More universal credit case law
New Upper Tribunal decision (19 August 2024) RA v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | [2024] UKUT 207 (AAC) | UA-2024-000333-USTA - Universal credit claimant’s failure to re-verify his identity did not give rise to overpayment from start of claim
New Upper Tribunal decision (16 August 2024): MR v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions | [2024] UKUT 199 (AAC) | UA-2024-000145-ULCW - Tribunal erred in law by failing to adjourn paper hearing in order to allow the claimant an opportunity to respond to its concerns about his credibility >> More universal credit case law
New Upper Tribunal decision (24 July 2024): DR v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (UC) | [2024] UKUT 196 (AAC) | UA-2023-000712-USTA - Compensation for injury to feelings in settlement of an employment tribunal claim is not 'compensation for personal injury' that can be disregarded as capital in the calculation of universal credit >> More universal credit case law
New Upper Tribunal decision (24 June 2024): Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v PC (UC) | [2024] UKUT 186 (AAC) | UA-2022-00316-USTA - EU national did not retain worker status for reasons including 'undue delay' of three months before making universal credit claim >> More universal credit case law
New Upper Tribunal decision (5 June 2024): AM v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (UC) | [2024] UKUT 137 (AAC) | UA-2023-001439-USTA - Tribunal’s failure to apply temporary absence from GB disregard to claimant caught by Covid-19 travel restrictions amounted to error of law >> More universal credit case law