Universal Credit Essentials Trustees’ Annual Report July 2024 to June 2025
Charity contact information Universal Credit Essentials
53 Drummohr Gardens
Wallyford East Lothian
EH21 8BJ
info@uceplus.co.uk www.uceplus.co.uk
Scottish Charity Number: SC050201
Charity Trustees Claire Sharp Lynda Combe Katherine Jagger Katie West
Objectives and activities
Universal Credit Essentials (UCE) began in 2017 with the goal to make benefit information clear and accessible to the public.
We knew that to support as many people as possible, UCE would provide help online, making us available day and night. Often people are looking for help around their work schedule or in the middle of the night when their worries can be at their worst.
We make our information engaging and written in plain language that makes it easier for people to understand. We have volunteer advisers who monitor our online
community and are on hand to provide expert information and help those seeking advice to understand the options available to them.
All of us have experience of the benefits system and we empathise with how stressful and worrying it can all be. We have a huge team of volunteers actively involved in our organisation and many of us appreciate the difficulty of benefits, disability, working, and childcare.
We have continued to use our own community forum space through our website. This has allowed us to reach a wider range of people and provide more detailed answers while still maintaining the high-quality individualised service we are known for.
Structure, governance and management Universal Credit Essentials is a SCIO with a single tier constitution.
Achievements and performance
Universal Credit Essentials continued to provide vital online advice and support, reaching over 135,000 people. Our website remained a trusted resource for Universal Credit information, and we saw increased momentum in our online presence, with recommendations from a growing number of organisations and frequent referrals from community forums and peer networks.
We are proud that, even in a quieter operational year, our work continued to make a significant difference to individuals navigating the complexities of the benefits system.
Volunteers
Our volunteers continue to play a vital role in the success of Universal Credit Essentials. Their ongoing commitment ensures that our services remain available to those who need them. We are incredibly grateful for the time, skills, and dedication they bring to the charity. Maintaining and developing our work simply would not be possible without them.
Financial Review
The charity’s financial transactions during the year ended 30 June 2025 are summarised in the Receipts and Payments statement attached. Income and expenditure were minimal, reflecting a year of limited operational activity. The trustees continue to ensure that the charity’s funds are managed prudently and in line with its charitable purposes.
| Date | Description | Money In | Money Out |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carried forward from end June 2024 £1570.78 | |||||
| 22/07/2024 | Google adsense | £105.38 | |||
| 27/07/2024 | Forum monthlycharge | £38.27 | |||
| 23/08/2024 | Google adsense | £63.18 | |||
| 27/08/2024 | Forum monthlycharge | £37.69 | |||
| 23/09/2024 | Client bereavementgift | £35.98 | |||
| 24/09/2024 | Forum monthlycharge | £37.13 | |||
| 07/10/2024 | Postage | £3.05 | |||
| 23/10/2024 | Google adsense | £99.51 | |||
| 24/10/2024 | Forum monthlycharge | £38.06 | |||
| 25/11/2024 | Forum monthlycharge | £39.46 | |||
| 24/12/2024 | Forum monthlycharge | £39.50 | |||
| 27/12/2024 | Google adsense | £106.14 | |||
| 24/01/2025 | Forum monthlycharge | £40.03 | |||
| 24/02/2025 | Forum monthlycharge | £39.01 | |||
| 25/02/2025 | Google adsense | £99.99 | |||
| 24/03/2025 | Forum monthlycharge | £38.21 | |||
| 24/04/2025 | Google adsense | £68.26 | |||
| 24/04/2025 | Forum monthlycharge | £36.89 | |||
| 19/05/2025 | Wix website hostingand domain | £230.40 | |||
| 27/05/2025 | Forum monthlycharge | £36.79 | |||
| 24/06/2025 | Forum monthlycharge | £36.71 | |||
| Money In £542.46 |
|||||
| Money Out | £727.18 | ||||
| Funds Held | £1,386.06 |
Future plans
The trustees have been working behind the scenes on exciting new developments for Universal Credit Essentials. Our focus remains on expanding our reach, strengthening our volunteer network, and ensuring that high-quality Universal Credit advice is accessible to as many people as possible.
While we are not yet in a position to share full details, we look forward to unveiling new initiatives in the coming year that will build on the strong foundations we have established.
We are confident that the next phase of UCE’s growth will bring significant benefits to the communities we serve.
Audit and Scrutiny
In accordance with the Charities Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 2006, no external scrutiny of the accounts has been carried out for the year ended 30 June 2025, as the charity’s gross income was below the threshold requiring an independent examination.
Trustees’ Statement of Approval The Trustees of Universal Credit Essentials SCIO (charity number SC050201) approve the Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2025.
This report and accounts were approved by the Board of Trustees and signed on their behalf by:
Signed: __ Name: Claire Sharp Position: Trustee Chairperson Date: 20 July 2025