Universal Credit Guide - 2023/24

Order the new edition now for priority delivery in April!

The 2022/23 version of the guide is available to download for free from the Guidance and Resources section of our new website.

Universal credit is a maze. This newly updated book is DR UK's essential guide to finding your way through that maze, written by our in-house benefits experts. It will help you maximise income for yourself and avoid the pitfalls – such as having your benefit sanctioned. 

The guide explains how you qualify for universal credit, how to claim and how the amount gets worked out. There is a section on the assessment that decides whether you can get extra money because of your condition, whilst minimising the risk of a benefit sanction. There is also a detailed section covering sanctions and all the things you can do to avoid them. 

The guide covers the way that universal credit is paid, and what happens when you get moved onto universal credit from another benefit. Finally there is a section on what you can do if you are unhappy with a decision made on universal credit. 

Universal credit is also heavy on jargon. Don’t worry! At the end of the guide we have a glossary, covering the different words and phrases that are used.