Prisoners on release - Benefits when released from prison

You can claim most benefits in the normal way. Use the Turn2us Benefits Calculator to check which benefits you may be entitled to.

Before you leave prison, you might be interviewed by a DWP liaison officer who should point out what benefits you might be able to claim.

You will need a national insurance number to claim benefits. If you haven’t already got one, the Government's Gov.UK website has more information on how to apply for a national insurance number.

You will also need to prove your identity, so make sure you keep form B79 (notification of discharge from prison), sometimes known as discharge papers, when you leave prison.

There are guides for people leaving prison who need to claim Universal Credit on the government website.

There is more information about prisoners resettlement on the Ministry of Justice website.