Get help with benefits and pensions if you have accessibility needs
Source: gov.uk (2025-09-30)

Get help if you have difficulties claiming benefits and pensions because of a disability or health condition.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can make adjustments for you if your disability or health condition makes it difficult to:

use the phone

use the internet

read letters

fill in forms

attend face-to-face meetings

understand complicated information to manage your own affairs

Difficulty using the phone

If you have difficulty using the phone, you can use one of the following services instead.

Relay UK

Relay UK (https://www.relayuk.bt.com) is a national service provided by BT that helps people with hearing and speech difficulties communicate with people over the phone. This can be used to contact all of our benefit and pension services.

Video Relay Service

Video Relay Service allows British Sign Language (BSL) users to communicate with DWP through a BSL interpreter. The service is available for all DWP benefits and services. Check benefit and service contact details to find out where it is available and how to use it.

Other alternatives to the telephone

If you cannot use these, you can ask for:

communication by email – make sure you tell us this is because of your disability or health condition

support from a family member, a friend or someone else such as a welfare rights adviser – make sure you give them your permission to help you

a home visit (https://www.gov.uk/support-visit-benefit-claim)

Difficulty using a computer

If you have difficulty using our online services, contact the service by phone or letter. Tell them you cannot use the digital service because of your disability. You will be helped to access the service in a different way.

Difficulty reading letters or filling in forms

If you have difficulty reading letters or filling in forms, let us know when you contact us. You can ask for information in other ways, for example:

larger typesize

Braille – make clear if you need grade 1 (also known as uncontracted Braille) or grade 2 (also known as contracted Braille)

audio – you can get letters or leaflets on CD or as an MP3 file

email – if you use assistive technology, you can get letters and forms emailed to you in a suitable format

phone – ask for a phone call to explain things in more detail

paper colour – if you find it difficult to read letters because of the colour you can ask for them in a different colour

a home visit (https://www.gov.uk/support-visit-benefit-claim)

Difficulty attending face-to-face meetings

You may need to visit an office as part of your benefit or pension claim. If this may be difficult because of your disability or health condition, you can ask for ‘reasonable adjustments’, for example:

an appointment at a quieter time

a quiet area or separate room in a jobcentre to meet

a room with a hearing loop

a British Sign Language interpreter

someone to meet you when you arrive at a building

bringing someone you know to support you

Contact the office that asked you to attend an appointment.

If you cannot visit an office because of your disability or health condition, you can ask for a home visit (https://www.gov.uk/support-visit-benefit-claim).

Difficulty managing your own affairs

If you cannot manage your own affairs, or would like someone to act on your behalf you can ask for someone to become your appointee (https://www.gov.uk/become-appointee-for-someone-claiming-benefits).

How to complain

If you feel that a service or information is not accessible, you can make a complaint (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions/about/complaints-procedure).