Coronavirus Universal Credit & Benefits
Universal credit, employment & support allowance & other benefits that can help
The coronavirus pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we live. It's an anxious and upsetting time, and while the primary concern is health, many of us have lost our jobs or found we can't continue in business. This guide looks at what benefits you can claim to help you through this difficult time – many can be claimed alongside other Government help available.
Important: The info below is the best we have currently, but as this is a fast-changing situation we're updating this guide all the time. If you've a question not covered below or in our other coronavirus guides, please email it to us (we can't respond to each question but we'll try to add answers in these guides).
In this guide
- Other benefits you may be able to claim
- Employment support allowance
- Working tax credit – full payment even if hrs are reduced
- I get other benefits – should I switch to universal credit?
- Reduced income? Check if you could get child benefit
- Grieving the loss of a loved one? Here's the help you could get
Been told to self-isolate under contact tracing? Here's the help you could get
- Warning – watch out for coronavirus scams
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Income hit by coronavirus? You may be able to claim universal credit
If you're unemployed, been made redundant, off work due to sickness, or on a low income, you could be eligible for universal credit, a means-tested benefit to help you meet your basic living costs. You could work for an employer, be self-employed, have been recently furloughed or made redundant, or have had a reduction in wages, and still apply.
In response to the coronavirus crisis, the Government has made changes to universal credit, including upping the monthly standard rate – eg, from £317.82 to £409.89 for single people aged 25 or over. It's also removed the 'minimum income floor', to help self-employed people whose income has fallen, and increased the allowance for private renters who need help with housing costs.
You can check if you're likely to be accepted for universal credit using our 10-minute Benefits Calculator.
Claiming universal credit due to coronavirus but now going back to work? Tell the DWP
If you or your partner are now returning to work or have found new employment, you need to tell the Department for Work and Pensions (you can do so by updating the details in your online universal credit journal).
- As your income increases, your universal credit payment will reduce.
- It will keep reducing until you're earning enough to no longer claim universal credit.
- If your earnings decrease after this, you can claim universal credit again.
- Remember it's not just YOUR income that's taken into account, it's your household income. If your partner is going back to work (and it doesn't matter if you're married or not, as long as you live together) this will affect your universal credit claim.
Who can claim universal credit?
You might be able to claim universal credit if:
- You're out of work or on a low income.
- You're aged 18 or over (there are some exceptions if you're 16 or 17).
- You or your partner are under state pension age.
- You have less than £16,000 in savings – if you have a partner, their savings count too (if you're self-employed, some savings may not count if they're for business purposes, eg, tax. Full what counts info is below).
- You live in the UK.
- You currently receive any of the benefits that universal credit is replacing – eg, working tax credits, child tax credit, income support, housing benefit – and your circumstances have changed.
WARNING: If you currently receive means-tested benefits, such as working tax credits, but are thinking of applying for universal credit, check before you do so. You need to be aware that your existing payments will stop as soon as you apply. Universal credit replaces these benefits and you will NOT be able to go back on to those benefits in future (you may of course remain entitled to some UC). For more, see our Will I be better off switching to universal credit? analysis.
Everyone gets a standard allowance, based on age and whether you're single or in a couple:
| UNIVERSAL CREDIT STANDARD ALLOWANCE | |
| Your circumstances | Monthly standard allowance |
Single and under 25 |
£342.72 |
Single and 25 or over |
£409.89 |
In a couple and both under 25 |
£488.59 per couple |
In a couple and either of you is 25 or over |
£594.04 per couple |
In addition, universal credit offers some people extra help. This is for:
- Housing costs – for rent, but mortgage-holders can apply for a 'support for mortgage interest' loan
- If you care for children
- If you have a sickness or disability that prevents you from working
- If you have other caring responsibilities
Don't forget it's quick and simple to see how much you could get with our 10-minute Benefits Calculator.
Quick questions
How much can I earn and still qualify for universal credit?
This is where it gets complicated as there is NO FIXED AMOUNT YOU CAN EARN BEFORE YOU CAN GET UNIVERSAL CREDIT. It all depends on your personal situation. So unless two claimants have identical sets of circumstances they will receive different entitlements and be able to earn different amounts of money before their entitlement is eliminated.
So if there is no set limit, how will I know if I'm eligible?
Even though there are no strict thresholds, there are some clear principles:
- As your income increases, your payment will reduce.
- It will keep reducing until you're earning enough to no longer claim universal credit.
- If your earnings decrease after this, you can claim universal credit again.
- It's not just YOUR income that's taken into account, it's your household income. If your partner is a high earner (and it doesn't matter if you're married or not, as long as you live together) it's likely you won't be eligible to claim universal credit.
What counts as income?
Salary: Money you earn from paid work. For every £1 you earn in a month, your universal credit entitlement will decrease by 63p. However, some people will get a special work allowance.
Pension: If you receive money from a private pension pot and are below state pension age, for every £1 you receive it'll reduce your entitlement by £1.
Other benefits: Some benefits are taken into account when calculating your universal credit entitlement. Generally this is considered 'unearned income' and, like a pension, counts £1 for £1.
Savings: If you or your partner have combined savings of more than £6,000, you'll get less universal credit, and if your household has savings of £16,000 or more, you won't be eligible for universal credit at all.
Note: A redundancy payout does NOT count as income, so is not subject to the 63p decrease, but does count as savings.
How the date you apply for self-employment income support can affect your universal credit payments
It may be that, as well as claiming universal credit, you're due a payment via the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), if you're self-employed and your business has been affected by Covid-19, and you meet its criteria.
If you're eligible, and you have the ability to wait, it could be worth delaying when you apply to the SEISS.
The aim of this is so that the SEISS payment arrives nearer the start of your universal credit 'assessment period', rather than the end. This rolling four-week assessment period begins after your initial universal credit claim.
Eligible SEISS applicants have been given an allocated date and time slot to make their application, but we have confirmed with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) that this is to help manage its systems, and not a deadline.
Delaying your SEISS application has two main benefits: it gives you the ability to optimise how the two payments – universal credit and SEISS – work together, and can help you protect your upcoming universal credit payments.
As the confirmed deadline is Monday 13 July, there is quite a bit of wiggle room if you can afford to wait. This means you can essentially protect your May AND June universal credit payments if you wait until closer to the deadline.
Use our free calculator to see how this will work for your circumstances.
Optimising both payments and protecting upcoming universal credit payments
SEISS gives one payment, made up of 80% of the average of three months of your reported self-employed profit, up to a maximum of £7,500.
This is considered 'income' when it comes to universal credit – and as we've seen, the higher your income, the smaller the amount of universal credit you receive. However, this SEISS 'income' can be offset (ie, reduced) by genuine business expenditure such as your tax bill, national insurance contributions or stock items.
So if you need to use your SEISS payment for business-related expenses, it helps if you can report these as much as possible in the same assessment period as it's paid in, to avoid having a higher 'income' amount that would reduce your universal credit entitlement. Want to see what you'll get? Use our free calculator.
For more on the SEISS, see our Self-Employed Help guide.
Self-employed and have savings put aside to pay tax? It needn't decrease the universal credit you get
Saving around a third of your profits to pay tax is normally sensible. But if you're now looking at claiming universal credit, you might think that any business savings in your personal account will affect your eligibility for this support. We've checked with the Department for Work and Pensions, which confirmed that while it'd expect business savings to be in a business account, nevertheless "if someone has money in their personal account to be used for business purposes, it won't be counted towards their capital".
However, it did warn that you may need to prove the cash is for business purposes. So if this applies to you, make it clear in your application that the savings are business savings, and put a note of it in your online universal credit 'journal', where you record any changes to your circumstances. It should then be discounted from the calculations.
Quick questions
How to apply
Right now phone lines are very busy. So if you can it's best to do it online. Visit the official Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) website here.
But be patient.
The DWP has been flat out processing applications, and while the number of claim applications might have fallen from the peak in April, it's still a busy period. If you can apply for universal credit online, do so. Once you've completed your application it will call you back. This frees up the lines for people who can't get online to claim.
If you need to phone, the universal credit helpline is 0800 328 5644.
How long will it take to get paid?
It takes around five weeks from the date you submit your claim to your first payment.
I honestly dreaded this process as we'd never been through it before. We tried the phone... too long a wait. Tried online... thought we hadn't successfully completed the process. Then they rang us! All done and sorted in a week. Thank you universal credit workers.
- MoneySaver Jen
Are there any other benefits that I can claim?
While universal credit is the main benefit available, there are other benefits that you may be eligible for too. He we go through them in detail – see if any of them apply to you. We also outline the support you may be able to access if you've lost a loved one.
Contributory employment and support allowance (ESA)
Employed and self-employed workers can apply for contributory employment and support allowance, also known as 'new-style ESA', if directly affected by coronavirus, caring for a child who is ill with coronavirus, or self-isolating according to Government advice.
As part of its response to the pandemic, the Government is changing the rules so you're eligible to claim from the first day of sickness/self-isolation rather than the eighth, as was the case previously.
Given that payments are made fortnightly in arrears, claimants who meet the criteria should actually receive their first payment after about two weeks.
To be eligible, you must have paid enough national insurance contributions in the last two to three years (see full eligibility criteria – national insurance credits also count). What you get (and if you can get it) depends on several factors:
- How much can I get? Up to £74/wk depending on your age – if you're under 25, you'll get £59/wk.
- Can I still earn while I claim? Yes, you can earn up to £140 a week, but only if you are doing 'permitted work' of less than 16 hours a week because of a disability.
- What happens if I have savings? The amount won't be affected by you or your partner's savings or income, though if you get a private pension worth more than £85/wk it'll be reduced.
- What if I'm claiming other benefits? Contribution-based ESA can't be claimed alongside statutory sick pay, maternity pay or jobseeker's allowance. However, it can be claimed alongside universal credit, but your universal credit entitlement may be reduced.
Working tax credit
If you're still on the old benefit system and receiving working tax credit, you should see an increase in your next payment. That's because, as part of measures to provide support during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has increased the basic element of working tax credit by £1,040/year (£20/week) to £3,040/year from Monday 6 April.
The only people still eligible to make a new claim for working tax credit are those who receive the 'severe disability premium', or those who have stopped receiving it in the past month but remain eligible for it.
How much can I earn and still qualify?
Payments are means-tested, so the more you earn, the less you receive. While there's no set limit for income, working tax credit is mainly for families earning roughly under £46,000.
But for most people, working tax credit has been replaced by universal credit.
I can't work my normal hours – what happens to my tax credits?
To qualify for working tax credit, normally you must work a certain number of hours: at least 30 hours if you're aged 25-59, or 16 hours if you're 60+, disabled or single with one or more children.
But the Government has confirmed that if you can't work your normal hours because of coronavirus, you will still receive your usual tax credit payments.
This means if you're working reduced hours due to coronavirus or you've been furloughed, your payments will not be affected as long as you are still employed or self-employed.
You don't need to contact HMRC about this change. You will be treated as working your normal hours until the Job Retention Scheme and Self-Employment Income Support Scheme close, even if you are not using either scheme.
WARNING: If you currently receive working tax credit but are thinking of applying for universal credit, check before you do so. You need to be aware that your existing payments will stop. Universal credit is a replacement for working tax credit and you will NOT be able to switch back in future (you may of course remain entitled to some universal credit). See 'Will I be better off switching to universal credit?' below for more...
Will I be better off switching to universal credit?
Most people will receive a similar amount on universal credit – within £100 a year of what they would get under the old 'legacy' system. But a few will be £1,000s a year better or worse off.
Who is likely to be better off?
The Institute for Fiscal Studies found that those in work, who live in expensive cities such as London and who pay rent to private landlords are most likely to gain. Around one in three such claimants, it estimates, will see an increase in entitlement of at least £1,000 a year.
Who could be worse off?
Of the claimants who could stand to lose £1,000 a year or more, most are affected by universal credit's harsher treatment of those with savings. If you have savings or capital of more than £6,000 up to £16,000, your universal credit award will reduce – anything over £16,000 and you will not get any universal credit. Meanwhile, savings or capital AREN'T taken into account if you receive working tax credit.
So if you currently get any of the older benefits listed below, and are thinking of making a new universal credit claim, try to get advice from a benefits specialist if you can. Also use our free Benefits Calculator to work out what you're entitled to – that way you can see if you're going to be better or worse off.
You don't want to miss out on the help you need now, by failing to claim, but you do need to be aware of possible consequences – and once you make the switch you can't reverse the decision:
- Working tax credit
- Child tax credit
- Income support
- Income-related employment and support allowance (NOT new style)
- Income-based jobseeker's allowance
- Housing benefit
Quick question
Jobseeker's allowance
If you're out of work, you might be entitled to claim jobseeker's allowance (JSA). It's a flat-rate state benefit you can claim if you're unemployed (not on furlough).
It is NOT means-tested. This means it makes no allowances for extra costs such as children or rent and your savings and partner's savings or income don't count either. This can make it a better option than universal credit for some people, eg, if you have too much in savings to be eligible for universal credit.
There are three types of JSA:
- 'New-style' JSA. This is the main type of JSA generally available to new claimants – and this is the one we refer to here.
- 'Income-based' JSA. This has largely been replaced by universal credit for new claims.
- 'Old-style' contributory JSA. It's only available to a small number of people who have been recently receiving a means-tested benefit and are severely disabled.
How much can I get?
How much you get depends on your age:
- £58.90 a week if you're under 25
- £74.35 a week if you're over 25
Note: You are not paid for the first seven days of your claim and will be paid for a maximum of 28 weeks, after which your payments will stop.
Am I eligible?
If you were recently working as an employee (ie, not self-employed) and lost your job due to coronavirus, you will likely be eligible for 'new-style' JSA.
Eligibility is based on whether you've paid enough class 1 national insurance contributions in the last two to three years as an employee. Self-employment contributions don't count.
Quick question
What else have I got to do to get JSA?
Usually you have to show that you're actively looking for work. But new guidance has been issued as a result of coronavirus. This means that:
- At the moment you DON'T have to search for work.
- At the moment you DON'T have to be available for work.
It no longer matters what is set out in your claimant commitment contract, which you sign when you start a claim at the Jobcentre. This will continue until at least 29 June 2020. We're currently waiting for an update on this.
Quick questions
Going back to work? Moving house? Remember you MUST report a change in circumstances
- Your claim could be stopped or reduced if you do not report a change straightaway.
- Changes include starting a new job, training or an apprenticeship, changes to your income, moving house, changing your name, and going abroad.
- You MUST tell the Jobcentre if your employer has put you on furlough (ie, still paying you even though you have been told not to work).
- You may be prosecuted or have to pay a £50 fine if you give the wrong or incomplete information or do not report changes straightaway.
Child benefit
If you've been made redundant, or put on furlough, and your salary has subsequently dropped, you may now be entitled to claim child benefit – a monthly payment for anyone with parental responsibilities for children under the age of 16.
If you've already registered for (and opted out of) the benefit previously, claiming only involves a quick phone call – make sure you have your national insurance number to hand. For those new to claiming, it's just one form to fill in.
How does child benefit work?
If you (or your partner) earn below £50,000, you get 100% of the benefit a week: £20.70 for your first child and £13.70 for each additional child. It's paid every four weeks and depending on how many children you have, it can really add up.
- The benefit is calculated on 'adjusted' net income for a full tax year. So if you had four months of no pay, for example, on a £70,000 salary, you'll have an average income below £50,000 over the tax year. This means you'd be eligible for child benefit for that WHOLE tax year. If you've been furloughed you may have to do some maths to consider the overall average for the year to determine if you are below the threshold.
- If you earn above £50,000 a year, the amount you receive is tapered, up to £60,000. You will be required to pay back (via a self-assessment tax return) 1% of your family's child benefit for every extra £100 you earn over £50,000.
- Once you hit £60,000, you'll then need to pay back 100% of your entitlement via a tax return, meaning essentially you won't get any benefit.
- You may have filled in a 'CH2' child benefit form and opted out previously when your salary was higher, to protect your state pension (for more on this, see our MSE News story). In this case, you'll simply need to call the child benefit helpline on 0300 200 3100 and ask now to opt in.
- If you haven't previously applied for the benefit or you've just had a baby and want to claim, you can do so as soon as you've registered the birth of your child, or they come to live with you if you've adopted them. If you've not been able to register the birth due to coronavirus, you can still make a claim – see 'Had a baby recently?' below.
- To make a claim, fill in the CH2 claim form and send it to the child benefit office. The address is on the form. If your child is adopted, send their original adoption certificate with the form. You can order a new adoption certificate if you've lost the original.
- It can take up to 12 weeks to process a new claim, but the claim can be backdated for up to three months. So if you call to claim the benefit now, but were made redundant a month ago, you can claim from the date you were made redundant.
For full information on how to claim, see our Child Benefit guide.
Going back to work? Contact the child benefit helpline: If and when you go back to work and your salary is back up to 100%, if this pushes you over the £60,000 threshold, make sure you contact the child benefit helpline to say you want to opt out again to avoid having to pay any money back later (or if it's between £50,000 and £60,000, keep a tab on how much you will have to pay back).
The child benefit helpline number is 0300 200 3100 (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone, dial 18001 then 0300 200 3100 to use the NGT text relay).
Normally you have to go in person to register your baby's birth and provide a birth certificate with your child benefit claim. But now you just need to tell HM Revenue & Customs when applying that you haven't been able to register your baby's birth due to coronavirus. For a full rundown of what to do, see our help on claiming child benefit for newborns.
Grieving the loss of a loved one? Here's the state help you could get
The death of a loved one is undoubtedly one of the most stressful and emotional times you can experience. And for some of us, it can also bring extra financial worry. But there is help available with funeral costs and financial support for up to 18 months after your bereavement.
Below you'll find the main areas of support available, who's eligible and what you could get. For more detailed information, go to our What to do when someone dies guide.
1. Help with funeral costs
If you're on certain benefits, such as universal credit, child tax credits or pension credit, you could receive what's called the funeral expenses payment. There are two elements to this support.
The first element is to help shoulder some of the more expensive, essential aspects of a funeral, such as:
- Cremation fees, including the fee for the doctor's certificate
- Travel arrangements to the funeral
- The cost of moving the body within the UK (more than 50 miles)
- Burial fees for a particular plot
- Death certificates or other documents
The second element is for help with other smaller costs such as funeral directors' fees, the coffin or flowers etc. To claim, you can keep your receipts and apply for reimbursement of up to £1,000 – an amount increased from £700 on 8 April 2020. So if your loved one died before this date, the previous lower rate applies.
How much help can I get for essential costs?
There is no limit to the amount of money you can get for the first element covering essential costs, rather like universal credit. But the amount you get depends on what the costs are, your circumstances and those of the deceased.
It's important to note that this part of the payment is not strictly a grant – if the deceased person had assets, such as savings or property, the state will claw back the payment from that. For example, if they owned a flat, the state will claim money back from the sale of that. However, if there aren't any assets, you will not be asked to repay it from your own money.
How and when to apply
You must apply within six months of the funeral, even if you're waiting for a decision on whether you'll receive a benefit that would qualify you for the funeral expenses payment. You can make a claim before the funeral if you've got an invoice or signed contract from the funeral director.
You'll need to fill in a claim form, which you can download from the Gov.uk website.
If approved, the funeral expenses payment is paid into your bank, building society or credit union account if you've already paid for the funeral.
The money will be paid directly to the organiser of the funeral (for example, the funeral director) if you haven't paid yet.
2. Bereavement support
If your husband, wife or civil partner died on or after 6 April 2017, you could be entitled to a benefit known as the bereavement support payment. The payment is normally a lump sum, followed by 18 monthly payments. You don't have to be claiming benefits to receive it.
Below you'll find the key points about the payment, who's eligible and what you could get. For more detailed information, visit our What to do when someone dies guide.
Who is eligible?
You'll be eligible for this benefit if you were:
- Under state pension age when your partner died
- Over state pension age and your partner wasn't entitled to a state pension based on their own national insurance contributions
- Living in the UK, or a country that pays bereavement benefits
Or if your husband, wife or civil partner:
- Paid at least 25 weeks of national insurance
- Died because of an accident at work or disease caused by work
How much help can I get?
The amount you're entitled to depends on whether you're receiving child benefit and when you put the claim in:
- Receiving child benefit or are entitled to it? The first payment is £3,500, followed by 18 monthly payments of £350. This includes if you're pregnant when your partner died.
- DON'T receive child benefit? The first payment is £1,500, followed by 18 monthly payments of £100.
How to apply
You must claim within three months of your partner's death to receive the full amount. You can claim up to 21 months after, but the amount will be less.
The bereavement support payment won't affect your other benefits for a year after your first payment. If after a year you're still receiving the payment, this could affect the other benefits you're eligible for.
You can apply by filling in a form or ringing the bereavement service helpline on 0800 731 0469. See Gov.uk for more on how to claim.
What help can I get if I'm not a UK national and don't have a 'right to reside'?
Even if you don't have permission to live permanently in the UK, you might still be able to access help and support.
For example, if you need medical treatment in the UK, you won't have to pay for diagnosis or treatment of Covid-19. This includes if you're tested and the result is negative. Your immigration status won't be checked if you seek a test or treatment for coronavirus.
For more information about what help you could get, see the Gov.uk website.
I've been told to self-isolate under contact tracing, what help can I get?
The various contact-tracing schemes in England (Test and Trace), Scotland (Test and Protect), Wales (Test, Trace and Protect) and Northern Ireland (Test and Trace) are all now up and running. If you've been in close contact with someone who tests positive for coronavirus, you may be told to self-isolate for 14 days. If so, and you can't work from home, here's what you're due:
If you earn at least £120+/wk: You can claim statutory sick pay (SSP) of £95.85/wk from day one of self-isolation – though if your work normally offers more generous sick pay, you may be able to get that. If you then develop Covid-19 symptoms you can continue to get SSP for 28 weeks.
SSP is paid through your employer, so you must notify it. For more information, see statutory sick pay.
If you earn under £120/wk: If you already claim universal credit, log in to your online journal, update your details and your universal credit award should be boosted in line with your drop in earnings. If you're not already claiming, apply for universal credit and if you need cash urgently, request an advance payment.
SSP is only for employees – if you're self-employed and you can't operate your business from home, and it's disrupted, you can apply for universal credit, though what (if anything) you get depends on your costs, savings and income.
NHS and social care staff to get free car parking
NHS and social care staff working in hospitals will get free onsite car parking for the duration of the coronavirus outbreak.
NHS trusts are responsible for setting hospitals' car parking charges, but the Government says it's committed to providing the financial backing so they can abolish parking charges for their staff.
The Government also says that some hospitals may require additional car parking capacity and that under new measures, some key workers will be able to use council parking bays without time restrictions or charges.
The changes will apply to all on-street parking and open, council-run car parks, including pay and display, and will see charges suspended for health workers, social care workers and NHS volunteers. The way that people provide evidence for their jobs will be decided by individual councils.
The National Car Parks group has also confirmed that it will provide free parking for NHS staff at all 150 of its car parks in England.
Warning – watch out for coronavirus scams
Lowlife scammers are taking advantage of coronavirus to try to defraud people, especially the elderly and vulnerable.
Action Fraud has already identified thousands of reports of fraud relating to coronavirus since February, with victims' losses totalling more than £5 million. Many of these are online shopping scams where victims have tried to buy products such as protective face masks and hand sanitiser from fraudsters. There have also been over 4,400 reports of coronavirus-themed phishing emails designed to trick people into opening malicious attachments or revealing sensitive information.
A common tactic used by scammers is to send messages purporting to be from research groups linked with the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in the US, or the World Health Organisation. Some claim to be able to provide a list of people infected with Covid-19, which links to a malicious website or asks the victim to make a payment in Bitcoin.
Other common phishing emails include those pretending to be from the Government, sending articles about the coronavirus outbreak with links to fake company websites, or sending details of investment schemes which encourage people to take advantage of the coronavirus downturn.
Received a suspicious email? The National Cyber Security Centre (part of GCHQ) has launched its new Suspicious Email Reporting Service to take phishing scams down – all you have to do is forward suspect emails to its report@phishing.gov.uk email address.
Tips to protect yourself against scams
Action Fraud says you can do the following to minimise your chances of being tricked:
- Be vigilant for scam messages. This includes not clicking on any links or attachments if you receive a suspicious message, and not responding to any unsolicited messages or calls that ask for personal or financial details.
- Take care when shopping online. You should always do your research if buying from a company or person you don't know and trust, and possibly ask a friend or family member for advice first. If you do go ahead with an online purchase, you should use a credit card if possible for extra protection (see our Section 75 guide).
- Protect your devices from threats. This includes always installing the latest software and app updates to protect your devices from new threats.
Also see MSE Katie's 20+ coronavirus scams to watch out for blog for more of the known coronavirus-related scams out there and tips to protect yourself from fraudsters.
Have you been scammed?
If you've lost money to fraudsters, you should do the following:
- Immediately end all communication with them.
- Contact your bank to tell them you've been scammed, and cancel any recurring payments.
- Report the scam to the police through the Action Fraud website. You can also call it on 0300 123 2040, but be aware it has a reduced phone service at the moment, so waiting times may be longer than usual.
- If you want one-on-one help, you can contact Citizens Advice Scams Action by phone or online chat.
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Payday lender Sunny in administrationFull help
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What are your rights to a refund if you need to change or cancel a wedding?
7 July 2020
Including can you reschedule, what do insurers cover and will you get a refund -
Coronavirus Universal Credit & Benefits
7 July 2020
If you're suddenly unable to work due to the coronavirus crisis, or you've been laid off, this guide looks at what benefits you can claim, what you're entitled to under universal credit plus tells you how to make a claim. -
Coronavirus Self-Employed & Small Limited Company Help
7 July 2020
If you're worried about work during the coronavirus crisis, this guide looks at your rights if you're self employed, including what help's there for limited company directors. -
Coronavirus Travel Rights
7 July 2020
The coronavirus outbreak is causing major travel disruption around the globe -
33 Premier League matches to be shown for free on TV – how to watch them
6 July 2020
All of the remaining 92 games in the English Premier League will be broadcast live and over a third will be available to watch for free
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Martin Lewis: Payment holidays extended – but should you take one? Mortgages, credit cards, loans, payday loans, car finance and more
6 July 2020
Within the last week, we've seen the extension of coronavirus credit card, personal loan and overdraft help to 31 October 2020, with mortgage payment holidays already extended. The regulator's other help schemes are also likely to be extended too, including car finance and payday loans, yet should you do it?
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