This year, recipients of tax credits, income support, housing benefits, and other benefits should anticipate receiving a letter informing them that they would be moving to universal credit.
In a process it refers to as managed migration, the government intends to move the remaining "legacy" benefit claimants to universal credit.
By the end of 2025, all benefit claimants will be transferred to UC, and the procedure will be carried out in phases.
Here are some things you should know about that process, including when it occurs and its significance.
When the government processes your benefit claim, you will receive a Universal Credit Migration Notice from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), according to charity and benefit experts Turn2Us.
If you receive tax credits, this letter will come from the DWP with an HMRC logo (or from the Department for Communities if you live in Northern Ireland).
This notice is crucial, as it informs you that your current benefits are ending and that you must apply for Universal Credit. It will also outline the necessary steps and deadlines.
Claimants typically have three months from the date on the migration notice to submit a Universal Credit claim.
Following the instructions in the letter is essential—failing to act by the deadline will result in your benefits being stopped.
You may also receive a leaflet advising you to prepare for Universal Credit. However, if it does not include a deadline, it is not your official migration notice. Wait until you receive the formal notice before taking action.
It's important to note that the government provides transitional protection for those being transferred to Universal Credit.
If you receive a migration notice and submit your Universal Credit claim before the deadline, you will qualify for transitional protection payments. These payments ensure that you do not receive less under Universal Credit than you did with your previous benefits.
In most cases, claimants will receive the same amount as before—or possibly more—when switching to Universal Credit.
However, there is a five-week waiting period before receiving your first Universal Credit payment.
You may have the option to take out an advance payment, but this must be repaid over 24 months, which could reduce your future payments.
Additionally, any changes in your circumstances before or after applying may impact your payment amount and could affect your transitional protection.
Lastly, Universal Credit normally cannot be claimed if you have savings or assets over £16,000. However, if you apply after receiving your migration notice, this limit is waived for the first 12 months of your claim.
The final phase of the Universal Credit switchover is set to be completed by 2026, marking 13 years since the benefit was first introduced.
However, concerns were raised last year over a government push to accelerate the process—a so-called "sprint finish"—which campaigners warned was leaving some people struggling to claim Universal Credit and nearly missing their deadlines due to confusion over the requirements.
The Child Poverty Action Group described the pace of the transition as "breakneck", warning that it could be "downright dangerous" for those caught up in the change.
"There’s a high risk that large numbers will slip through the cracks, lose the support they need, and fall into debt," the charity’s chief executive, Alison Garnham, said in February 2024.
Critics have also accused the government of lacking transparency around managed migration, expressing concerns that vulnerable claimants could be left without support if they fail to meet the transfer deadline.
In response, Neil Couling, the DWP’s director general for fraud, disability, and health, told MPs in February, "We're not trying to catch anybody out—success is when people have made a claim."
"We've had some cases, which we call exclusions, where we might have not build the service necessary. The braille service for tax credit claimants was only ready by October last year. We excluded where it was visible tax credit claimants who needed a braille service, we would withdraw the migration notice. That is now ready," he added.
Accepting that ESA claimants may be particularly vulnerable, Couling said the DWP had created an "enhanced support journey" to get what they are entitled to. He said the DWP and other groups were "very happy with that approach".
He said "If people do not respond to our migration notice and they are on ESA, we do not switch off their entitlement without attempting further contact.
"We send text messages, where we have phone numbers. We contact other parties -social services and others - who may be in contact with the claimant. We check our old records to see if we have any routes in."
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