New Universal Credit case manager helpline

The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) has introduced a new telephone system that will allow a Universal Credit (UC) claimant’s representative to speak to their case manager, providing the claimant has given their express consent for this. A tenant can appoint their landlord as their representative. This is best done via their online journal, the telephone or in person with their case manager.

Representatives should phone 0800 328 5644 to speak to the case manager. They may be asked for the claimant’s date of birth, phone number or address as part of the security checks.

Landlords who receive direct payment of their tenant’s benefit can also obtain information from DWP, even if they aren’t named as the tenant’s representative. The information that can be disclosed is:

• the start date of the claimant’s housing payments being paid to the landlord
• when the landlord can expect to receive the first payment
• the amount of the next payment of the claimant’s UC housing costs
• if there have been any changes to the UC housing costs (the reason for the changes will not be provided or discussed).

The number to call for this depends on which job centre area your tenant lives in. For areas listed here the number to call is 0800 328 5644. For all other areas the number to call is 0800 328 9344. Following concerns raised by SAL about call waiting times, the DWP tell us that these are now much reduced. If you experience an unacceptable delay in getting through on the helpline please let us know with details of the date and time you called so that we can escalate this to DWP.