How Universal Credit is paid to you
Universal Credit is paid into a bank account. They’ll ask you to set one up if you do not have one already. In the meantime, you can ask Universal Credit to pay you using a voucher or card via the Payment Exception Scheme.
The payment is monthly. If you’re struggling to manage your monthly payments due to things like health conditions or debt, you can ask for payments to be twice or four times a month.
It will take 5 weeks for you to receive your first payment. You can ask for a benefit advance if you are unable to manage during that period but you’ll have to be repay it out of your benefit over 24 months.
Find more information about advance payments and how to apply on the GOV.UK website.
For more information, watch our Universal Credits Key Facts video:
Budgeting support and help with setting up a bank account
There are some useful online resources to help you manage your benefit payments and set up a bank account. This includes: