Money advice

Online services

• Debt Advice Foundation
• National Debtline
• PayPlan
• Money Wellness
• StepChange Debt Charity
• Money Adviser Network

Telephone services

• Youth Legal and Resource Centre 02031 951 906
• Debt Advice Foundation 0800 622 6151
• Money Wellness 01615 188 282
• National Debtline 0808 808 4000
• PayPlan 0800 280 2816
• StepChange Debt Charity 0800 138 1111

If you are currently in receipt of Housing Benefit, you can continue to receive this for help towards your rent if there are no changes in your circumstances that mean you would have to apply for Universal Credit.

If you do not currently receive Housing Benefit, unless you are of pension credit age, you cannot make a new claim for Housing Benefit and need to claim Universal Credit instead.

You can do your own benefit check at entitled to.

Universal Credit is for people of working age, designed to top up your income to a minimum level and help you with your housing costs (rent and some service charges). It is for people on a low to moderate income. It does not matter whether you are working or not, or the reason why you are not working.

Universal Credit replaces these benefits:

• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit

Universal Credit does not include help with your Council Tax. You must claim Council Tax Support separately from Plymouth City Council.

Universal Credit is paid in one lump sum and on a monthly basis, and includes help to pay your rent. This help isn’t paid separately, like Housing Benefit. The Universal Credit is paid straight to you, so you have to pay your rent out of this money.

Most people will get the same amount of money as they would have under the benefits listed above – it just looks like more because of the benefits all being paid together, including help with rent, and is paid monthly, all at once.

It is important to budget when getting Universal Credit payments. As they are paid monthly in arrears, you will need to keep enough money back to make sure you pay your monthly rent, other household bills and living expenses.

Visit the Government website for the latest information on Universal Credit.

The benefit cap is a limit on the total amount of certain benefits you can get if you are of working age.

It will only affect you if you’re getting housing benefit or Universal Credit. If the cap affects you, your housing benefit or Universal Credit is reduced.

Visit the Government website for the latest information on the benefit cap including amounts and benefits included.

If you live in any council or housing association property and have one or more spare bedrooms that are now in use, your housing benefit or universal credit may be reduced.

You can calculate if you are affected by the bedroom tax by using a bedroom tax calculator.

Tenancy fraud can take place when someone gives false information or statements to apply for a home. That could mean that they are offered a home which should have gone to someone in greater need.

Fraud can happen during the tenancy, too, where a tenant sublets their home to someone else, allowing them to queue jump the waiting list and potentially make extra money illegally.

It may also be tenancy fraud if a PCH tenant is not using their tenancy as their main or principle home - this could include where a property has been abandoned.