Preparing for your universal credit interview

Find out how to prepare for this interview, including how to set it up, what you might be asked, what you need to take with you and what you’re expected to do to look for work. 

Log into your universal credit account and check the ‘to-do list’ section. There will be a heading called ‘prepare for your appointment’. Click on this.

There will be a list of documents for you to bring with you to your interview. Tick the ones you have. If you don’t have any, tick ‘I do not have any of these’ – this just means you’ll be asked more questions at your interview. 

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should call you to book your interview. If they don’t, you should phone them within a month of completing the form saying which documents you’ll be taking. You’ll be given the phone number when you fill in this form.

If you live with a partner, they’ll have a separate interview and will need to take their own documents. 

What if I can’t make the appointment?

If you can’t find a phone number or attend the interview for any reason, call the universal credit helpline. 

You’ll need your national insurance number, which you can find on a payslip or a letter from DWP or HMRC. 

Always try to call from the phone number you gave DWP when you made your universal credit account as you’ll have a shorter wait. You might be put through to the same person you’ve spoken to before. 

Makes notes of any phone calls to the helpline in your universal credit journal so you can refer to it later if you need to.

I need them to make allowances for an illness or disability

You can ring the universal credit helpline to ask for ‘reasonable adjustments’ to make attending your appointment easier e.g. a phone interview or moving your interview somewhere that’s better for you to get to. 

If the jobcentre won’t make the changes you’ve asked for, speak to someone like Citizens Advice and see what your options are. You might be able to appeal. 

I need to cancel my interview

Ring the universal credit helpline as soon as you can if you can’t get to your appointment. 

If you have a good reason, e.g. illness, you should be able to rearrange your interview. You’ll usually have a new appointment within a week. 

The jobcentre can close your claim if you miss your interview and don’t tell them. If this happens, you’ll need to start your application again.

Can a friend or relative come to my interview with me?

DWP has to let you bring a friend or relative if you want support. Tell them before the interview and explain why you’re bringing someone with you. You can contact DWP through your universal credit journal. 

Details of your interview can be found under the ‘to-do list’ section of your online universal credit account. 

When you complete things on your to-do list, they’ll move to the ‘journal’ section so you have a record of what you’ve done.

You can use your journal to contact your work coach and DWP, and upload evidence e.g. information about your health or childcare costs. 

Your work coach and DWP will also send you messages through your journal, so check it regularly. Try and reply as soon as possible.

Your documents are used to prove you gave the right details when you applied for universal credit.

You’ll need to bring the documents you agreed to when you made your appointment, but you’ll definitely need:

• photo ID e.g. passport, driving licence or national identity card
• a letter with your postcode on e.g. from your bank
• your national insurance number e.g. a payslip or letter from HMRC
• your bank, building society or credit union account e.g. a bank statement 

Depending on your circumstances, you might also need to bring evidence about housing, income, savings and children. DWP may also ask for proof of pre-settled or settled status – they’ll tell you how to give them this evidence.

If you don’t have all the documents you need, you’ll need to answer more questions at the appointment. 

If you can’t take all the documents with you on the day, e.g. you’re waiting for copies, you’ll need to take them to the jobcentre within a month of your interview or send them by post. 

Housing details

If you rent from the council or housing association, you don’t need to take evidence as DWP will check with your landlord.

If you rent privately, you’ll need to take your rental agreement or recent rent statement to prove how much your rent is and your landlord’s address. 

If you own your home, you’ll need proof of your mortgage e.g. bank statement or mortgage agreement. 

Income and savings

You can take recent payslips or a P45 if you’ve left work. 

If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to be able to prove that’s your main job. You’ll also need your business plan, invoices and receipts, accounts and proof that you’re registered with HMRC as being self-employed.

Remember to bring any evidence for: 

• pay from work, a pension or insurance plan, or overtime that you’re owed
• capital investment e.g. shares or property
• other benefits you get 

Children

If you have children, you’ll need:

• their birth certificates
• evidence of childcare costs e.g. invoices or receipts from a nursery or registered childminder
• any child benefit reference numbers – you can call the child benefit office if you don’t know the reference

Your work coach will ask you about the type of job you’re looking for, your skills and your ability to work. 

After you’ve told them about your situation, they’ll decide what you need to do to prepare or look for work. You’ll need to agree to this to get universal credit – this is your ‘claimant commitment’.  

Your work coach might ask you about:

• your qualifications and experience – take your CV and any relevant work-related certificates
• how much you want to earn – tell your work coach what you’ve been paid for previous jobs
• how many hours you can work each week – if you can’t work full time, you need to explain why e.g. you have disabilities or you’re a carer
• anything that limits where you can travel e.g. you rely on public transport 

Your work coach will also ask you about your personal situation, including if you:

• have children
• have a disability or any health conditions
• look after someone with a disability
• are being treated for a drug or alcohol problem
• find it hard to read or write
• are homeless
• have to do jury service
• will struggle to pay for travel – you might be able to get money from the flexible support fund
• had a partner or child who died in the last six months
• you’ve experienced domestic abuse in the last six months – you might not have to look for work for 13 weeks

Your claimant commitment is what you’ve agreed to do in return for universal credit. 

Your work coach will tell you what you’re expected to do, depending on your circumstances:

• no work-related requirements – you don’t need to do anything to prepare or look for work
• work-focused interview group – you’ll have regular meetings with your work coach
• work preparation group – you’ll meet your work coach regularly and get ready for work by writing a CV, having training or going on work experience
• all work-related activity group – you need to look and apply for jobs and go to interviews

What if I don’t agree to the claimant commitment?

If you think you’ll struggle to do what your work coach has asked of you, tell them and explain why you’ll find it hard. 

You can ask them to change what you do or how often you do it e.g. reducing the number of hours you’re expected to look for work because you’re a single parent.

Your work coach has to be reasonable and consider your requests. If they don’t change your claimant commitment, you can ask for someone else to review it. 

You need to accept the final claimant commitment within a week or your claim will be closed. 

You’ll need to continue to meet the terms of your commitment, or you might have your payments reduced or stopped (sanctioned). 

You’ll usually get your first universal credit payment five weeks after submitting your online claim. 

After this, you’ll get a single monthly payment into your bank, building society or credit union account. 

If you don’t think you’ll have enough money to cover your living costs while you’re waiting for your first payment, you can ask for an advance payment. You’ll need to pay it back, but you won’t have to pay any interest.

You might also be able to get help from the flexible support fund at your work coach’s discretion.

You won’t need to pay this money back, but you can only use it for an agreed purpose.

There’s no definitive list of what money from the fund can be used for, but you can ask for help with travel expenses, training courses, interview clothes or for any costs of providing the documents they’ve asked for e.g. buying photo ID. 

DWP will message your online account if your claim is unsuccessful. You’re allowed to appeal the decision.  

If you get universal credit, you might be eligible for other benefits too e.g. council tax reduction. 

See what other help you might be able to get with our free benefits calculator.