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Introduction

If you have recently received a decision on your asylum claim and now have leave to remain in the UK, any money you are getting from the Home Office will usually stop after 56 days (before 6 December 2024 it stopped after 28 days). If you still need financial help, you may be able to claim benefits instead. Benefits are money paid to you by the government depending on your circumstances. The information here gives you basic advice about which benefits you may be able to claim and what to do if you are having problems getting paid. 

The information here is for people who applied for asylum and now have refugee status, indefinite leave to remain, humanitarian protection or discretionary leave (sometimes called 'leave outside the rules'). As long as one of these statuses applies to you, and you are not subject to any public funds restriction (if you are, your Home Office documents will say you have 'no recourse to public funds'), you have the same rights to benefits as British nationals. Note that if you came from Afghanistan or Ukraine under one of the resettlement routes, you may have been granted leave in the UK outside the normal asylum process – if this applied to you see Benefits for resettled Afghans or Benefits for resettled Ukrainians instead.

Benefits you can claim if your income is low 

If you are between 18 years old and state pension age (currently 66 years old), and have a low income, you may be entitled to universal credit. You must also have 'capital' (which can included properties you do not live in, savings and investments) valued at less than £16,000. 

You can qualify if any of the following apply to you: 

  • you are looking for work or working on a low wage; or
  • you are unable to work due to illness, disability, caring responsibilities or pregnancy; or
  • you are responsible for one or more children; or
  • you need help to pay your rent. 

If you are under 18 or a student, you can only qualify for universal credit in limited circumstances so get advice (see Further help below). 

If you are over state pension age (ie, at least 66 years old) and have a low income, you might not qualify for universal credit but may be able to get pension credit and housing benefit instead. See If you are state pension age or over below for more details. 

As well as universal credit, pension credit or housing benefit, you may also be entitled to child benefit or council tax reduction. There are other benefits to help you with the costs of disability, caring and setting up home too. More details of who can get these benefits and how to claim are below.

How to claim universal credit 

Normally, you must claim universal credit online. If you are part of a couple, you both make individual claims and follow the instructions to join them together. If you need help making your universal credit claim, you can ask your local job centre or Citizens Advice Bureau. In some circumstances, you may be allowed to make a universal credit claim by telephone instead.

Once you submit your universal credit claim, you normally need to make and attend an appointment at your local job centre. If you are part of a couple, usually both of you need to make separate appointments. You can be asked to bring evidence to prove your immigration status, your identity, your rent, that your children live with you, that you are unable to work or anything else that is relevant to your entitlement. If you do not have all the evidence asked for, bring what you can, including anything else that might help prove your circumstances, and explain why you cannot provide what has been asked for. If you do not yet have a national insurance number, this should not prevent you making your universal credit claim, but see When to claim below. 

When you attend the job centre, you are asked to agree to the conditions in a ‘claimant commitment’. These conditions are things like spending time looking for work every week, attending interviews or doing things to help improve your chances of getting a job. Not everyone has to do all or any of these things: for example, if you are caring for a child under the age of three you are not expected to look for work. If you do not accept the claimant commitment, you are not entitled to universal credit. So it might be better to accept a claimant commitment you are not happy with, so you are paid universal credit, and then try to persuade your job centre adviser (‘work coach’) to change it. If you are part of a couple claiming universal credit, both of you have to accept your own individual claimant commitment otherwise neither of you are paid any universal credit.

Note that if your application for asylum has been successful but you are part of a couple and your partner is still waiting for a decision on their asylum application, even though you are a couple special rules allow you to make a claim for universal credit as a single person. If your universal credit claim is successful, you will only be awarded universal credit at the rates for a single person, including any children for whom you are responsible. If your partner's asylum application is successful, your single award of universal credit ends and you can then make a new universal credit claim as a couple and be paid at the rates for couples.

How much universal credit will you get? 

How much universal credit you get is worked out over a calendar month. The maximum possible amount of universal credit you can get for a month is worked out by adding together: 

  • an amount for you as a single person or as a couple;
  • amounts for any children who live with you (but sometimes limited to only two children);
  • extra amounts if any of the children who live with you get a disability benefit;
  • an amount if you are a carer for a severely disabled person (even if you also work) or if you have been assessed as unfit for work and preparing for work;
  • an amount if you have to pay for childcare while working;
  • an amount if you pay rent (unless you are in temporary housing because you are homeless or live somewhere where you get care or support – see If you live in temporary housing because you are homeless, or somewhere you get care or support below) 

Once you have added those amounts that apply to you together, from that maximum possible amount of universal credit for the month, some unearned income is deducted (for example, benefits such as carer support payment, pensions or student funding), and also part of any earnings you receive during that month. If you are working as an employee, your monthly earnings are usually reported to universal credit automatically. If you are self-employed, you must report your earned income and outgoings usually using your online universal credit account every month. Any universal credit that is left after deductions is then paid to you after the end of the month. 

Deductions may also be made from your universal credit for the following reasons:

  • to pay back some debts; or
  • if you were previously overpaid universal credit; or
  • to pay back an 'advance' payment of universal credit; or
  • if you receive a 'sanction' due to not meeting one of the conditions set out in your claimant commitment. 

If one of these deductions is being made from your universal credit it is probably a good idea to get advice to check it is right or if it can be reduced (see Further help below). 

The amount of universal credit you are paid can be 'capped'. This 'benefit cap' applies if the total of your universal credit and other specified benefits your receive every month is above a set amount. In some circumstances you may be exempt from the benefit cap, including if getting disability or carer benefits (see Help if you have a disability or long-term illness, or care for someone who does below), or if you work and earn enough every month. If the amount of universal credit you receive has been reduced due to the benefit cap, in Scotland you should be able to get a Discretionary Housing Payment from your local council to make up for the amount of universal credit you have lost.

How universal credit is paid 

Universal credit is normally paid once a month directly into a bank account in either your name, your partner’s name or a joint account. If you do not yet have a bank account, your universal credit can be paid using the ‘Payment Exception Service’ through a Post Office or PayPoint for the first month or sometimes longer. If you are having problems making a claim because you do not have a bank account, or need help with setting up a bank account, ask for help from a Citizens Advice Bureau, your housing provider or another support organisation such as the Scottish Refugee Council. 

Your monthly universal credit payment is normally made on the same day every month. That day is usually 7 days after the end of month it is paid for. So, for example, if you make your claim for universal credit on 5 May, your first payment will cover the month up to and including 4 June and you will get your first payment of universal credit on 11 June, and then on the 11th of each month. This means you might have to wait for up to 38 days before you get your first payment of universal credit. If you need money to live on while waiting for your first universal credit payment you can ask for an ‘advance’, but you will have to pay the advance back, normally within the next 24 months. See What if I am left without any money while my claim is being decided? below for more advice about help while waiting for your universal credit to be paid.

In Scotland, you have the right to have the amount for rent included in your universal credit paid directly to your landlord. You also have the right to have half of your monthly universal credit paid to you twice a month instead of one monthly payment. Normally, you are only allowed to ask for these after you have had your first payment of universal credit. 

If you live in temporary housing because you are homeless, or somewhere you get care or support 

Universal credit can help with your living costs if you live in temporary housing because you are homeless but not your rent. Instead, you need to claim housing benefit to get help with your rent. This may also be the case if you live somewhere you get care and support, for example because you are a young person or you have an illness or disability. 

If you are state pension age or over 

State pension age is currently 66 years old. If you have reached state pension age, or if you are a couple and both of you are state pension age, and your income is low, you may be able to claim pension credit to help with you and your family’s living costs, and housing benefit to help with your rent. You are not required to look for work. If you are part of a couple and only one of you is over state pension age, you have to claim universal credit instead. 

If you are paying council tax 

You may be able to claim council tax reduction if you have to pay Council Tax and are on a low income. You can get council tax reduction whether you are working or not, and whether you get any other benefits or not. The amount you get will depend on what other money you have and who else lives with you.

If you have children 

You can usually claim child benefit for any children you are responsible for. You can also claim child benefit for young people under 20 years old who are still in school or other full-time ‘further education’ but not higher education - see Parents claiming for young people in further education or training. You do not have to be the child or young person’s biological parent. You can claim child benefit whether you are working or not. 

You may also get amounts of universal credit or pension credit for the same children or young person, but child benefit does not affect this. Both can be paid at the same time. You should not have to wait for a decision about child benefit before universal credit or pension credit amounts are paid for any child or young person who lives with you. If you are responsible for more than two children or young people, may only get the basic universal credit amounts for the first two due to the 'two child limit' rules. The 'two child limit' does not affect the amount of pension credit (or child benefit) you can get and there are exceptions in the universal credit rules so get advice if it is applied to your universal credit award.

In Scotland, you may also be entitled to the Scottish child payment for any child under 16 years old. To qualify you need to also get certain other 'passporting' benefits, which include universal credit or pension credit. Scottish child payment can be paid for children even if you do not get universal credit for them due to the 'two child limit'.

When to claim

Normally, you will only be paid a benefit from the date you claim it. So, it is very important to claim as soon as possible after you receive the Home Office letter telling you that you have leave to remain. You do not need to wait for your Home Office support to stop or until you have applied for an eVIsa.

When you claim benefits, you may be asked to provide information and evidence along with your claim. This will include your 'national insurance number'. Your national insurance number may be on your Biometric Residence Permit or eVisa. If you do not have a national insurance number yet, you should apply for one as part of making your claim for benefit. You should not be stopped from making a claim just because you do not yet have a national insurance number but payment of any benefit may be delayed while one is allocated to you. If you do not have all the other information and evidence requested, claim straight away anyway and send in the information and evidence as soon as you can – otherwise you might lose out. 

If there is a delay in getting the information or evidence you need, make sure you tell the office dealing with your claim straight away. Otherwise your claim could be closed down and you will have to start again. It is a good idea to make a note of any phone calls you make about this, keep a copy of any letters you write and take screenshots of any online messages you send in case there are problems later. 

How to claim

To claim universal credit you usually need to complete an online form at www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit but can call 0800 328 5644 if you need help. Your local Citizens Advice Bureau should be able to help you make a claim.  In some very limited circumstances, including if you have no or very little English, a universal credit claim can be made over the telephone.

To claim pension credit, call the Pensions Service on 0800 99 1234. 

To claim child benefit, you should complete the online form at www.gov.uk/child-benefit/how-to-claim but can telephone 0300 200 3100 if you need help. 

To claim housing benefit, council tax reduction or a Discretionary Housing Payment, contact your local council. You can find details of how to contact your council on their website or you can visit a council office.

To claim Scottish child payment you can apply online at www.mygov.scot/scottish-child-payment/how-to-apply/ or call Scottish Social Security on 0800 182 2222 which offers help in over 100 languages.

What if I am left without any money while my claim is being decided? 

If you are left without any money while waiting for your first payment of benefit, you may be able to get an 'advance'. Once your benefit is paid regularly you have to pay the advance back. You should ask the office dealing with your claim about getting an advance if you need money to live on. You can also apply for an advance of universal credit if you are waiting for the first payment of extra amounts, for example when a child has just started living with you.

If you are claiming housing benefit you may get an 'interim payment' if it takes more than 14 days to process your claim. However, you are only paid this if you have provided all the information needed to decide the claim. If it has been more than 14 days since you claimed and you have not had a decision, ask the office where you claimed for an interim payment. 

In an emergency you may be able to get a 'crisis grant' from your local council or go to your local social work department and ask for help.

Is there any other help I can get? 

As well as the benefits described above, there are others you might be able to claim. Some of these are described below. For where to find out more, see Further help below. 

Help with setting up home 

In Scotland, if you are setting up home and need things like furniture, a cooker or a fridge, you may be able to get a 'community care grant' from the Scottish Welfare Fund. This can be money that you do not have to pay back, or you might be given the items that you need. In England there are local discretionary funds you may be able to apply for, and in Wales the Discretionary Assistance Fund. You must apply to your local council for a community care grant. 

If you have Refugee Status or Humanitarian Protection, you can get an 'integration loan'. This is a single payment that you must pay back by deductions from your benefits. You should receive an application form along with your Home Office letter granting you leave to remain. However, it might be better to apply for a community care grant first as you do not need to pay it back. 

Help if you have a disability or long-term illness, or care for someone who does 

If you live in Scotland, are under pension age, and have a long-term illness or disability, you might be able to get adult disability payment. You may get this if you need help with looking after yourself from someone else, have difficulty walking or problems getting around outdoors. Note that in Scotland adult disability payment has replaced personal independence payment.

If you live in Scotland, are responsible for a child who has a long-term illness or disability and needs extra help looking after themselves, has difficulty walking or problems getting around outdoors, you may be able to claim child disability payment. Note that in Scotland child disability payment has replaced disability living allowance for children.

If you live in Scotland are over pension age and need help to look after yourself, you may be able to claim pension age disability payment. Note that in Scotland pension age disability payment has replaced attendance allowance.

If you get any of these disability benefits, they do not reduce the amount of universal credit, pension credit, housing benefit or council tax reduction you get. In fact, they may mean you are entitled to a higher amount. 

You can start a claim for adult disability payment, child disability payment or pension age disability payment online at the mygov.scot website (www.mygov.scot/browse/benefits/disability-benefits)  or by calling 0800 182 2222. It is a good idea to get help with filling in these forms from an advice agency if you can - see Further help below. 

For all these benefits, and carer support payment (see below), you usually need to meet a ‘past presence test’. This test can stop you getting these benefits until you have been in the UK, Ireland, Channel Isles or Isle of Man for a certain amount of time. However, special rules mean that this does not apply if you or a close family member have Refugee Status or Humanitarian Protection. 

If you look after someone who is getting disability living allowance, child disability payment, personal independence payment, adult disability payment, attendance allowance, pension age disability payment or Scottish adult disability living allowance, you may be able to claim carer support payment. Carer support payment is replacing carer’s allowance in Scotland. If you want to claim carer support payment, it is a good idea to get advice first as it can affect both your benefits and the benefits of the person you care for. To claim carer support payment, you can apply online on mygov.scot at www.mygov.scot/carer-support-payment/how-to-apply or by calling 0800 182 2222. If you are getting carer support payment, you may also get an additional payment of carer’s allowance supplement twice a year.

If you are pregnant or have children

If you are pregnant or have children, you may be able to get:

  • Best Start grants;
  • Best Start foods credits;
  • free nursery places for 3 to 4 year olds (or younger in some circumstances);
  • local council leisure pass (Kidz Card in Glasgow);
  • a Young Scot card for a child or young person in education between 11 and 25 years old;
  • free school meals and school clothing grants;
  • a free bus pass for children between 5 and 21 years old

Speak to an advice agency to check if you may be entitled to any of these. You can also find more information about what you may be entitled to for young children here: cpag.org.uk/welfare-rights/benefits-scotland/more-info/families-factsheets/help-early-years. 

Can I claim any benefit for the time I was waiting for my asylum decision? 

If you have Indefinite Leave to Remain, Discretionary Leave or Humanitarian Protection you can only get benefits from the date you were granted leave. 

If you have Refugee Status you can sometimes get child benefit and 'tax credits' for the time when you were waiting for a decision on your asylum claim. To get payment for this period, (known as backdating) you must claim within one month for tax credits and three months for child benefit of the Home Office letter informing you that you have Refugee Status. 

For child benefit, this only applies if you receive confirmation of your Refugee Status before 7 April 2025. If so, there is a question on the child benefit claim form asking about when you were given leave to remain which you should complete. You should get the full backdated amount of child benefit for the period while you were waiting for a decision on your asylum application. 

You cannot usually make a new claim for tax credits now but must claim universal credit or pension credit instead. But there are special rules which may mean you can still make a backdated tax credits claim if you claimed asylum before 31 January 2019. Not everyone will get backdated tax credits; it will depend on what money you had while you were waiting for your application to be decided. Call 0345 300 3900 and say that you want to make a backdated claim to the date when you claimed asylum. If they will not allow you to make a claim, get advice immediately (see Further help below). 

There is no rule that allows backdating of universal credit or pension credit for the time you were waiting for a decision on your asylum application. However, this does not affect child benefit and you may be able to claim tax credits under the rules above for a period before you claim universal credit or pension credit.

Help with interpreters 

When you are claiming benefits over the phone, you can ask for an interpreter, if you need one. You can also bring someone along to interpret at any interviews you have to go to or ask the job centre to arrange one for you. 

You claim most benefits over the phone or online. If you have problems making a claim this way, for example, because of a disability or ill health, you may be able to arrange an appointment at a job centre or arrange that someone visit you at home. You could also appoint someone else to make the claim on your behalf. 

Further help

Benefits advice 

You can go to a local Citizens Advice Bureau, the local council Welfare Rights Service or other advice agencies in your area for help with claiming benefits. You can find out how to contact these on your local council website or online at the Advice Local website: advicelocal.uk. Also, see the Independent Food Aid Network website that provides information about where to get advice in some local authority areas, and in some cases in a number of different languages: www.foodaidnetwork.org.uk/cash-first-leaflets. If you are a housing association tenant, your housing association may have its own welfare rights officers who can help you.

If you live in Glasgow, you can search the Glasgow Advice and Information Network website at www.gain4u.org.uk or call on 0808 801 1011. 

Other advice and support for asylum seekers and refugees 

You can get help and advice from the Scottish Refugee Council by calling 0800 1967 247 or the British Red Cross on 0808 196 3651. 

If you live in Glasgow you can get help and advice from Positive Action in Housing on 0141 353 2220.