The Universal Credit website has gone down today (March 5), leaving millions of claimants unable to log in. Reports from Downdetector show a spike in outages across Gov.uk and HMRC since 5 AM this morning.
Users attempting to access their accounts are seeing an error message stating:
“Sorry, the service is unavailable. Try again later.”
Many claimants took to social media to express frustration, with some initially fearing they had been locked out of their accounts.
What’s Happening with the Universal Credit Website?
Universal Credit login issues – Users unable to sign in.
Gov.uk and HMRC websites also affected – Widespread outages reported.
DWP has not confirmed the cause – The reason for the crash remains unclear.
What Are Users Saying?
Social media users have been posting about the issue:
- “Can’t login to UC, not working.”
- “I need to log in to my UC account, but it keeps saying service unavailable!”
- “I thought I’d been booted out for fraud!”
With over 6.4 million Brits relying on Universal Credit for financial support, this outage has caused concern among claimants needing urgent access.
How to Contact Universal Credit If the Website Is Down
If you need to speak to Universal Credit while the website is unavailable, you can:
Call the UC Helpline at 0800 328 5644.
Try using other government services if your query is not urgent.
Wait and try again later, as DWP has acknowledged the issue.
Universal Credit and Other Benefits: How They Affect Payments
If you receive additional benefits, your Universal Credit amount may change.
Benefits That Reduce Universal Credit (£1 deducted for every £1 received)
- Bereavement Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance (New Style)
- Incapacity Benefit
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
- Jobseeker’s Allowance (New Style)
- Maternity Allowance
Benefits That Do NOT Affect Universal Credit
- Child Benefit
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Income from boarders or lodgers
- Maintenance payments
Benefits Cap: How It Affects Your Payments
The benefits cap limits how much households can receive in total benefits per year.
If you live outside London:
- Single person (no children): £14,753
- Couples & families: £22,020
If your total benefits exceed the cap, your Universal Credit may be reduced.
The Universal Credit website outage has caused widespread frustration, especially for those who rely on it for financial support. While DWP has yet to confirm the cause, claimants should keep trying to log in or contact the helpline for urgent queries.
For now, those needing to manage their Universal Credit claims may need to wait until the system is restored. Keep checking Gov.uk and official DWP social media channels for updates.
FAQ’s
Why is the Universal Credit website down today?
Users have reported login issues since 5 AM on March 5, 2025. DWP has acknowledged the outage but has not confirmed the cause.
Is HMRC also experiencing login issues?
Yes, reports indicate that HMRC and Gov.uk websites are also experiencing problems, preventing users from logging in.
What should I do if I can’t log in to Universal Credit?
You can call the UC Helpline at 0800 328 5644 for urgent queries or wait and try again later.
Does receiving other benefits reduce my Universal Credit?
Some benefits, like Carer’s Allowance and Maternity Allowance, reduce your Universal Credit, while others, like Child Benefit, do not.
What is the benefits cap and how does it affect Universal Credit?
If your household receives more than £22,020 (£14,753 for single claimants outside London), your Universal Credit may be reduced.
