Universal Credit

Making a claim and budgeting

City of Lincoln Council and North Kesteven District Council have a dedicated team to assist you with digital and budgeting requirements for Universal Credit.

The team can offer support in the following ways:

Providing Assisted Digital Support (ADS) for anyone wishing to make a claim by:

  • Supporting you to transact with Universal Credit using a personal computer or your own specific device
  • Ensuring you keep log-in credentials safe
  • Setting up a personal email address if you don’t already have one
  • Ensuring that you are able to access your email account to retrieve the email code
  • Ensuring that you are aware of the details needed to have to hand to safely complete your identity verification and claim Universal Credit
  • Ensuring that you understand how to access the ‘partner code’ and the requirement for your partner to complete their online claim using the partner code
  • Applying for Council Tax Support.

Helping anyone maintain their Universal Credit claim by providing assistance in:

  • Managing your claim via the online Universal Credit account on whatever device you have access to
  • Managing your own email account on whatever device you have access to
  • Navigating the platform and clearing your personal ‘To do’ list
  • Making journal entries
  • Recovering passwords
  • Uploading documents including your CV and medical certificates
  • Notifying a change of circumstances
  • Making enquiries
  • Printing documents.

Providing Personal Budgeting Support (PBS) to anyone by:

  • Supporting you to manage your monthly payments and prioritise essential bills such as rent
  • Applying for Discretionary Housing Payments
  • Income and Expenditure calculations
  • Supporting you, if you require personal budgeting assistance to manage your Universal Credit. The support to be offered includes:
  • Identifying the appropriate channel and provider to deliver personal budgeting support and referring you to the right place immediately
  • Providing, or arranging, telephone or face to face personal budgeting support and follow up action as appropriate
  • Referring if you need an alternative payment arrangement to Jobcentre Plus
  • Referring you to Welfare Advice for other support services such as debt advice.

 Resulting in you being able to:

  • Understand your Universal Credit award and what you can claim as well as entitlement to other benefits or grants
  • Work out monthly income and outgoings
  • Recognise priority bills, such as rent
  • Identify and cut back on non-essentials
  • Complete and maintain a budgeting plan
  • Convert from a Post Office card accounts/Simple payments to more appropriate banking products, including a transactional bank account
  • Set up or re-organise direct debits for prioritised payments.

If you need help applying for Universal Credit please contact our Universal Credit Support Team.