A client contacted us as she had been struggling to make a Universal Credit since April
She was told she did not have the right to reside in Northern Ireland and therefore didn’t have the right to claim Universal Credit.
The Full Picture
Since April, the client had been living on just Child Benefit and, since the end of September, some wages from a part-time job.
The client was in rent arrears and had her housing association has begun eviction proceedings against her.
How We Helped
Advice NI liaised with the Universal Credit decision-making team on behalf of this client. They were able to get her Universal Credit claim up and running and backdated to the 2nd September.
The housing association then stopped eviction proceedings and put in place a reasonable repayment plan for the client’s arrears.
The Outcome
The client was very grateful for getting her Universal Credit payment. She had felt in a hopeless situation before she called our Benefits Advice Service.
Although she had struggled since April, within two weeks of her calling our helpline, her Universal Credit claim was accepted and in payment, putting her in a much better financial position and enabling her to keep her home.
For help accessing FREE advice on benefits call 0800 915 4604 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) or email advice@adviceni.net.