Phone Jobcentre Plus for free by calling their freephone contact number 0800 055 6688 to discuss available job vacancies and to make a new benefit claim.
New benefit claims – 0800 055 6688
Contact Jobcentre Plus to make a new benefits claim for free by calling their freephone telephone number 0800 055 6688, where you can apply for Jobseekers Allowance if you are looking for employment and Income Support if you are a lone parent and thus you are unable to get a job. Please note that these types of benefits will eventually be merged into a simple structure known as Universal Credit and that you may already be eligible to claim this type of allowance as opposed to one of the pre-existing support payments. Additionally if you are ineligible for statutory maternity pay you will be able to obtain a Maternity Allowance from Jobcentre Plus by calling their helpline. You can also direct your enquiries to this team if you are unsure about whether you can claim any of these benefits and if you are looking for a job so that they can direct you to the appropriate department.
You can contact the job centre on their UK phone number 0800 055 6688 for free between the hours of 8am-6pm Monday-Friday so please note you will not be able to make a new claim on a weekend and some bank holidays. If you are hard of hearing or if you have a serious speech impediment you can contact them on their dedicated Textphone number 0800 023 4888 which is also free of charge to use.
Jobseeker’s Allowance & Income Support – 0345 608 8545
Phone Jobcentre Plus on their local-rate contact number 0345 608 8545 if you are seeking employment and therefore you have an existing claim for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) or if you already claim Income Support due to low financial resources as a consequence of being a single parent. Following parliamentary pressure in the autumn of 2017 the government now offers a freephone number 0800 169 0310 for Jobseekers Allowance, which you can call for no charge. Furthermore this is the main general enquiries helpline for existing individuals on Incapacity Benefits as well as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). You should call this helpline immediately to report a change of circumstances which will affect your regular payments, for example if you have changed your address, if your partner has moved in with you and if you have successfully found a job meaning you no longer require JSA.
Calls to the general enquiries phone number 0345 608 8545 for Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support and Incapacity Benefit claimants is charged at the same rate as calls to 01 and 02 area code telephone numbers in the UK. Therefore calling Jobcentre Plus will cost you a variable per-minute rate that depends on when you make the call as well as a pre-determined call access charge which is set by your provider. However these calls can also be free of a monetary charge if you have free inclusive minutes as part of your mobile or landline tariff. However their freephone number 0800 169 0310 is free to call from all UK and landline handsets.
Universal Credit – 0345 600 0723
Contact Jobcentre Plus on their dedicated Universal Credit phone number 0345 600 0723 or on their freephone helpline 0800 328 9344 to manage your combined benefits account and to notify them about a change in your circumstances that will affect how much money you can receive from the government. For example if you have been awarded a raise from your job you should contact them so that they can offset your Universal Credit allowance accordingly. Please be aware that Universal Credit will replace a host of relief funds including Housing Benefit, Tax Credits, Income Support so it is likely you will be switched onto this type of benefit in the near future if you haven’t already been transferred. If you require the use of Textphone services due to a hearing or speech impediment then please dial their dedicated Minicom number 0345 600 0743 at local rate or dial 0800 328 1344 for free.
Social Fund – 0345 603 6967
Phone 0345 603 6967 or dial 0800 169 0140 to contact the Social Fund team at Jobcentre Plus regarding your budgeting loan. Thus you should call these numbers to pay back the amount that you borrowed from the UK government if you have acquired the funds to enable you to pay this back early, however these emergency loans are interest free so you are not required to do so until the scheduled payment date. If you have previously taken out a crisis loan then you can call this helpline to enquire whether you are eligible to have a new budgeting loan.
Maternity Allowance – 0345 608 8610
Call Jobcentre Plus on their telephone contact number 0345 608 8610 or via their freephone 0800 169 0283 if you receive Maternity Allowance payments as you are otherwise ineligible for statutory maternity pay. Therefore if there is a change in your circumstances such as if you return early or if your child is born prematurely you should report them by calling this helpline, otherwise your payments may be affected. Additionally if they have made a decision which unfairly limits your maternity allowance payments you should call this team to request a ‘Mandatory Reconsideration Notice’ which allows you to dispute the decision in question.
Bereavement benefits – 0345 608 8601
Please contact the official bereavements team at Jobcentre Plus via their phone number 0345 608 8601 in the unfortunate case that your husband, wife or civil partner has passed away. You may be eligible to claim a £2000 lump sum if they regularly contributed national insurance payments, furthermore you can track an existing claim by calling this helpline.
Appointments – 0345 604 3719
Make an appointment at your local Jobcentre Plus by calling their telephone contact number 0345 604 3719, where you can discuss a benefits claim as well as to seek the latest job vacancies in your area. Some benefits require you to make regular meetings at your local centre so it is vitally important that you notify them using this helpline if you are unable to attend your scheduled interview.
Complaints – 0345 604 3719
Phone 0345 604 3719 to lodge a official complaint against Jobcentre Plus, for example if a member of staff has offended you in an appointment. Similarly if you feel they have been unhelpful in helping you find regular employment you can ask them to review your particular needs and adjust your job seeker benefits accordingly.
Jobcentre Plus contact numbers – at a glance
| Department | Phone number |
|---|---|
| General enquiries & new benefit claims | 0800 055 6688 |
| Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Incapacity Benefits and Employment Support Allowance (ESA) | 0345 608 8545 (local rate) and 0800 169 0310 (freephone) |
| Universal Credit | 0345 600 0723 (local-rate) and 0800 328 1344 (freephone) |
| Social Fund (Budgeting Loans) | 0345 603 6967 (local-rate) and 0800 169 0140 (freephone) |
| Maternity Allowance | 0345 608 8610 |
| Bereavement Benefits (UK) | 0345 608 8601 |
| Bereavement Benefits (international) | +44 191 218 7608 |
| Appointments & complaints | 0345 604 3719 |
Find your local Jobcentre Plus
As well as by using their telephone numbers you can also contact your local Jobcentre Plus using their local office finder, where you will find all the details you need to email them as well as comprehensive postal addresses if you would prefer to send your enquiries to them via post.