Complex needs overview
Introduction
Complex needs reflect personal circumstances and/or life events that present an individual
with extra challenges in accessing Universal Credit Full Service, using the service and moving
towards work and financial independence.
When a claimant with complex needs contacts DWP, their customer journey must be
comparable in quality and outcome to those whose needs are not complex.
While working with the claimant, it may become clear that they need additional support. It is
important to ask them and record what additional support they need to make sure it's
available every time the claimant needs it.
This will provide them with equal access to products and services and enable them to follow
the standard claimant journey, if appropriate.
Some claimants may be unwilling to tell us they are experiencing difficult life events or
personal circumstances. There may be signs, behaviours and language they use that suggest
they may have complex needs.
Support may be put in place on a one off basis, for a short, medium or long period of time, or
for recurring periods, depending upon the claimant’s needs.
What are complex needs in Universal Credit?
Universal Credit claimants may need additional or different support if it is likely they will have
difficulty:
accessing Universal Credit
proving eligibility for Universal Credit
fulfilling Labour Market requirements
maintaining their Universal Credit account
managing their money
opening a bank account
The claimant may experience difficulties with:
understanding information
interpreting situations
making decisions
giving consent
communicating information or their views
requesting specialist or additional help and support
These are examples, this list is not exhaustive.
Claimants with complex needs must be able to access recoverable hardship payments, if
required. This provides financial protection for claimants whose benefit is reduced by a
sanction or a Fraud Loss of Benefit penalty.
People from abroad may also have complex needs. Guidance for this is currently in
development
The following are examples of life events, personal circumstances, health issues or disabilities
that could affect the claimant's ability to access and use Universal Credit services.
Some claimants may not need additional support even though they are experiencing some or
all of the examples given below:
adoption - children
age - older person
age - older person - financial abuse (pensions)
age – young person aged 16 or 17
bereavement, death - recently bereaved
blind or partially sighted
have caring responsibilities - carers
children - childcare
child/children in considerable distress
children who leave care, care leavers
crime – victim of crime
victims of modern slavery or human trafficking
cultural barriers
language barriers – English not their first language
deaf or hearing loss
debt or indebted
divorce or termination of a civil partnership
domestic violence and abuse
drug and alcohol dependency
gender recognition/transgender
homelessness - a person without accommodation, in temporary accommodation,
frequent change of address
Internet use is restricted for example, due to criminal conviction
just left hospital
leaving the Armed Forces, Ex-armed forces personnel and their spouses/partners
learning disabilities
MAPPA individuals (Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements)
mental health conditions
memory loss caused by medication
offender/ex offender/ prisoners/detainees
physical disabilities
race - immigration status/refugee/asylum seeker/people arriving from abroad
reading and writing difficulties
redundancy
retirement
rural isolation
suicide and/or Self Harm Declaration or if there is a risk to themselves or others
supported by Troubled Families Programme
These are examples, this list is not exhaustive
Young people aged 16 and 17 will not usually be able to get Universal Credit in their own right
but there are some exceptions.
Young people are also expected to be in education or training, with the exception of those in
Scotland, where there is no requirement to stay in education/training until aged 18. For full
details about exceptions to 16-17 year olds claiming UC, and young people who are not in
employment, education or training see the Under 18s.
For disabled claimants DWP is legally required under the Equality Act 2010 to provide
reasonable adjustments for example Next Generation Text, providing information in braille or
audio CD format. It is vital interaction with the claimant is carried out to determine what
tailored support or reasonable adjustments they require. This is to ens ure equal access to
products and services.
Signs, behaviours and language
Claimants may talk about a life event, for example, the death of a relative or in a conversation
suggests they may have complex personal circumstances. For example, they have no ID
which may indicate they are homeless, have left prison or may have fled domestic violence or
abuse. There may be a combination of factors which mean claimants need additional support
to access benefits and use Universal Credit services.
When communicating with the claimant, the following could indicate an individual requires
additional support.
Assess whether they are:
in distress
not understanding what is being said
giving brief or one word responses
upset
frustrated
giving inappropriate responses which do not answer the question asked
continuously avoiding eye contact
having difficulty processing or remembering what has been said
holding a parallel conversation with someone else who may be their advocate or
appointee which suggests face to face contact might be preferable
demonstrating unacceptable customer behaviour
Difficulties or concerns dealing with written
communications, numbers or language
A claimant may display behaviour that indicates they have reading and/or writing difficultie s or
difficulties dealing with numbers or language. This could include being unable to:
or reluctant to complete or read paperwork
navigate telephony or online services
manage money or budget as they do not have sufficient numerical skills or state they
are in debt
understand verbal communications well enough to engage with DWP staff
Also, Universal Credit staff may notice:
errors on completed online application forms or paper forms
that the individual is unable to spell out words if requested during telephone calls
that English is not the claimant’s first language
Not all claimants who have difficulties or concerns dealing with written communications,
numbers or language will need support to access Universal Credit services. It is therefore vital
that staff interact with the individual claimant to determine if they need support and what their
additional requirements are.
For information and assistance in communicating with claimants whose first or preferred
language is not English refer to the: Interpreter and Translation Services or Welsh language
line.