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The short answer
No rule we found stops a Universal Credit claimant from sending money to family abroad. What matters is your capital: savings under £6,000 are ignored, £6,000 to £16,000 reduces your award, and above £16,000 you cannot claim. If you give away savings mainly to get or keep Universal Credit, the DWP can treat you as still having them, known as deprivation of capital.
The two rules that matter
Universal Credit is means-tested, so the DWP looks at your income and your capital. Sending money to Nigeria touches the capital side in two ways: it lowers your savings, and the DWP may ask why they went down.
The capital limits
GOV.UK says that to claim you must have £16,000 or less in money, savings and investments. Shelter's legal guidance for England sets out the bands:
| Your capital | Effect on Universal Credit |
|---|---|
| Under £6,000 | Ignored |
| £6,000 to £16,000 | Treated as 'tariff income' of £4.35 a month for each £250 (or part of £250) over £6,000 |
| Over £16,000 | No entitlement |
The limits are the same for single people and couples, and a couple's capital is combined. Capital includes savings and property, and the GOV.UK page also says your bank can share information with the DWP, including account details, balances and "transactions that took place abroad".
Deprivation of capital
Turn2us, in guidance reviewed on 9 June 2026, explains that if you intentionally give away or spend capital to get Universal Credit or to increase it, the DWP may treat you as still having that money, called notional capital. You are not treated as depriving yourself if you pay off a debt or buy goods or services that are reasonable and needed. The DWP considers whether getting more Universal Credit was a significant reason, how much choice you had, how long before the claim you spent the money, and whether you had the mental capacity to decide.
Worked example
Amaka claims Universal Credit and has £7,000 in savings. Her tariff income is worked out as £7,000 minus £6,000 = £1,000; £1,000 divided by £250 = 4; 4 × £4.35 = £17.40 a month deducted from her award.
Her father in Enugu needs a hospital procedure, and she sends £1,500 to pay the hospital. Her savings fall to £5,500, below £6,000, so the £17.40 tariff deduction would stop. If the DWP asks, she can show the hospital bill, the transfer receipt and her messages. Paying a relative's medical bill is a reason unconnected to Universal Credit, but the DWP makes the decision on the facts.
By contrast, a claimant with £18,000 who moves £3,000 into a cousin's account just before claiming, so as to come under £16,000, is the kind of case the deprivation rule is aimed at.
Regular support from your monthly money
Many claimants send small amounts each month from what they receive. The capital rules in the guidance we read are about savings and lump sums, not about how you spend each monthly payment. The point to watch is the pattern: if regular transfers are really moving savings out of your name, that is still capital leaving, and the DWP looks at why.
- Keep transfer receipts that show the date, amount and recipient.
- Keep the reason with the receipt: a school fee letter, hospital bill or funeral notice.
- Use an accurate purpose in the transfer app; see what purpose of transfer to choose.
- Do not hold savings in someone else's name to keep them off your claim.
Money and property in Nigeria
The capital rules count savings and property, and the sources we read do not limit them to UK accounts. If you hold naira savings, land or a house in Nigeria that is not your home, ask the DWP or an adviser how they are treated in your case and report them as your claim asks. Shelter notes that the DWP values capital at its current market value, less 10% if selling would involve costs and less any debt secured on it.
If you disagree with a DWP decision that you deprived yourself of capital, Turn2us says you can ask for a mandatory reconsideration. This is information, not advice; a welfare rights adviser can look at your own facts.
For who can claim in the first place, see Universal Credit after ILR, and for keeping proof of what you send, which records to keep.
Where Pryme fits
When you send through Pryme's Send, the app shows the rate and the fee before you approve, and you can generate a regular or verifiable receipt for each payment (receipts), which is the kind of record the DWP may ask to see. Outside Nigeria, Pryme's activities are carried out through regulated partners.
Questions people ask
Can I send money to Nigeria if I am on Universal Credit?
Yes, no rule we found forbids it. What matters is your capital: under £6,000 is ignored, £6,000 to £16,000 reduces your award, and over £16,000 you cannot claim.
Will the DWP know I sent money abroad?
It may. GOV.UK says banks can share information with the DWP, including transactions that took place abroad.
What is deprivation of capital?
Giving away or spending capital to get Universal Credit or get more of it. The DWP can then treat you as still having the money. Paying debts or buying reasonable, needed things does not count.
Does my land in Nigeria count for Universal Credit?
Property can count as capital unless a disregard applies, such as your home. Ask the DWP or an adviser how property abroad is treated in your case.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Universal Credit eligibility · accessed Oct 2026
- Shelter Legal England: Universal credit capital rules · accessed Oct 2026
- Turn2us: Universal Credit deprivation of capital (reviewed 9 Jun 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.