The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could send someone into people’s homes if they want to claim benefits. The system is available to help those who may struggle with completing applications by themselves for a variety of reasons.

People might be entitled to get a home visit from a DWP officer to help avoid making errors when applying for financial support from the Government. The support visit system is in place to help people manage their applications and ensure details are correct.

Some Brits may be eligible for this kind of assistance, but they cannot arrange it themselves. People can be referred for a support visit by a charitable organisation, like Citizens Advice or Age UK, but it might need to be discussed directly with the DWP.

What are support visits?

A DWP representative may be able to visit people in person to help them set up their benefits package. People cannot book one of these visits themselves and must contact the relevant department when applying for the benefit.

In most cases, support visits take place at home. But they can take place somewhere other than your home if needed. For example, the DWP officer can arrange to visit someone at a hospital if the conditions for a home visit aren’t suitable, but this will usually be discussed with you when a person is first referred.

Who is eligible for this support?

A visit can be arranged for someone who needs extra help to claim benefits. For example, the person intending to claim may have complex needs or a disability.

A visit can also be offered for vulnerable young people making a claim for the first time or for those who “have nobody else to support them”. The DWP will also arrange a support visit if someone you know is applying to become your appointee to help you manage your benefits.

What happens during a support visit?

The DWP Visiting Team will call to book a visit and tell the claimant what to expect, including how to contact them. People should also get a letter to confirm the booking, but if the visit has been booked at short notice, it may happen before you get the letter.

If the visit is going to take place at home and you’ve given a mobile number, the team will also confirm the booking by text message. The length of support visits varies depending on the circumstances of each individual case and can last between 30 minutes and a few hours.

Firstly, people can confirm if the person arriving at their chosen location is genuine by checking their photo ID card. A DWP officer should always present this.

If you cannot check their photo ID card (for example, if you have a visual impairment), you can agree on a password for the visiting officer to say when they arrive but this needs to be set up in advance of the visit by calling the DWP Visiting Team.

During the visit, an officer may record details about your current situation, any changes, savings, earnings, and household members. You’ll need to show original documents like payslips, bank statements, rent books, or tenancy agreements. The officer records everything, and benefit claimants should then verify this and sign a document to confirm its accuracy.