Universal Credit Claims process changes

Message circulated on behalf of Graham Metcalfe DWP.

The processes for making a UC claim are much changed & more user friendly being aimed towards vastly reducing & ultimately removing the need to attend Jobcentres.

Details will be taken on trust from customers for the foreseeable period with no Fail to Attend actions or Sanctions being actioned.

Please refer to the link below for further advice & support.

https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/coronavirus/

Please also be advised that Citizens Advice national Help to Claim UC helpline remains available to advise, guide & support new claimants also, (details attached).

The most crucial thing currently is to advise all UC claimants to make enquires via their journals, which is an area that is being substantially resourced & prioritised with colleagues being redeployed from all other areas of the our service to support this work.

This will allow the service centres to focus on processing & making payments to customers rather than answering phone queries.

The volumes of calls & claims have both significantly increased so we need to get the message out to the customer base via all partners channels.