How Do I Contact My Local Jobcentre Plus?

Contact your local Jobcentre Plus office if you have an enquiry about new benefit claims, an existing benefit claim, or if you want to change or cancel an appointment.

But, what should you do if you don’t know how to contact your nearest Jobcentre Plus? The easiest way is to search online using your postcode through the local office search facility on the GOV.UK website.

You can also write a letter and mail it to your nearest branch. You will find the address written on any letters of correspondence you received from them.

How to Complain about Jobcentre Plus?

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) defines a complaint as “any expression of dissatisfaction about the service provided which is not resolved by operational staff as normal business.”

As a result, you would need to follow the DWP complaints procedure to complain about the service you received from staff at one of the Jobcentre Plus offices.

Jobcentre Plus
Telephone: 0800 169 0190
Textphone: 0800 169 0314
Next Generation Text Service (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0190
Welsh language telephone: 0800 169 0207
Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm
Cost of phone calls (per minute)

Find a Job (previously Universal Jobmatch)

You can try to find full or part-time jobs in England, Scotland, and Wales using the ‘Find a job‘ service and then apply for jobs online.

Getting a National Insurance Number

You may need to apply for a National Insurance number if you are planning to claim social security benefits or receive welfare allowances. You can also find a lost National Insurance number through the GOV.UK website.

How to Make New Benefit Claims

You can phone Jobcentre Plus (or claim online) if you want to make a new claim for Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), including the ‘new style’ JSA.

Jobcentre Plus
Telephone: 0800 055 6688
Textphone: 0800 023 4888
NGT text relay (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 055 6688
Welsh language: 0800 012 1888
Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm

The contact details differ for certain types of benefits and allowances. Check through the other sections for further details on:

• How to claim Employment and Support Allowance
• How to claim Income Support
• Universal Credit: How to claim

The staff at your local Jobcentre Plus branch can provide you with alternative formats (e.g. audio CD, Braille, or large print).

Jobcentre Plus and Existing Benefit Claims

The contact numbers listed below are for use when your benefit is already in progress. For example, you may want to:

• Discuss information or details about a claim that you made.
• Inform the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about a change in circumstances (e.g. there’s a change in your income or you start working).

It will be important to have your National Insurance number available when you call any of the Jobcentre Plus telephone numbers.

For enquiries about Incapacity Benefit, Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), or Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA):

Telephone: 0800 169 0310
Textphone: 0800 169 0314
NGT text relay (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0310
Welsh language: 0800 328 1744
Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm

Universal Credit
You can sign in to your Universal Credit account to make an enquiry. They will send a reply during their normal office hours (e.g. Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm).

Social Fund
Telephone: 0800 169 0140
Textphone: 0800 169 0286
NGT text relay (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0140
Welsh language: 0800 169 0240
Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm

Maternity Allowance
Telephone: 0800 169 0283
Textphone: 0800 169 0286
NGT text relay (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0283
Welsh language: 0800 169 0296
Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm

Bereavement Benefits
Telephone: 0800 731 0139
Textphone: 0800 169 0314
NGT text relay (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 731 0139
Welsh language: 0800 731 0453
Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm

How to Change or Cancel a Jobcentre Plus Appointment

The simple way to change or cancel a Universal Credit appointment is by signing in to your online account.

For All Other Appointments
Telephone: 0800 169 0190
Textphone: 0800 169 0314
NGT text relay (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0190
Welsh language: 0800 169 0207
Monday to Friday: 8am to 6pm

How to Complain to the Independent Case Examiner

You can make a complaint to the Independent Case Examiner if it relates to the service you received from any of the DWP agencies (e.g. if they failed to resolve your complaint).

Department for Work and Pensions agencies include:

• Child Support Agency
• Debt Management
• Financial Assistance Scheme
• Independent Living Fund
• Jobcentre Plus
• The Disability and Carers Service
• The Pension Service

Even so, you should not contact the Independent Case Examiner unless you already received a letter saying it was their final response.

To make a complaint you should contact the examiner and explain what happened and when (within six months of getting the final response).

Independent Case Examiner
[email protected]
Telephone: 0800 414 8529
Outside the United Kingdom: +44 151 221 6500
Fax: 0151 221 6601
Typetalk: 18002 0151 221 6500
NGT text relay (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 414 8529
Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm

Independent Case Examiner
PO Box 209
Bootle
L20 7WA

The examiner will not pay for your legal fees. But, they can ask the DWP to re-open the case – assuming they uphold your complaint.

What if the Examiner Does Not Uphold Your Complaint?

You can take the case further by contacting the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman if your complaint is not upheld.