The 5 week (or more) wait
“For me it’s a flawed system. You’re on a benefit that puts you in debt before you get it. That can’t be right.”
“My family had to help me. Mum cooked me and my daughter dinner.”
People claiming Universal Credit have to wait at least five weeks for their first payment, with many reporting waiting even longer. During the wait, it is possible to receive an ‘advance payment’, which is a loan that claimants have to repay. While they wait to be paid, people often have to rely on family and friends to get by: borrowing from friends and family and making use of food banks. This is a time of great anxiety for people.
Find information and advice on bridging the 5 week gap in our Universal Credit Guide. created by welfare rights workers and people who have had first hand experience of claiming Universal Credit.