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<p>The Help To Claim support is not a contract arrangement with Citizens Advice and
Citizens Advice Scotland. They are funded by a grant agreement to deliver the Help
To Claim service that runs alongside the national Jobcentre offer, and provides additional
and alternative support for claimants who need help making their first claim. This
personalised support helps to ensure that there is no need for a claimant to have
their claim backdated to the point of contact. Instead, through either Citizens Advice
or DWP, claimants are able to access immediate support to make their claim in a timely
manner.</p><p> </p><p>There are some specific, designated circumstances in which the
Department has the ability to backdate a claim, for example if someone is taken ill.
However, there is not a legal basis whereby a third party, including Citizens Advice
and Citizens Advice Scotland, can ‘protect the date of claim’ for Universal Credit
claimants based on first contact. A Universal Credit claim begins when a completed
claim is submitted.</p>
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