The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is urging benefit claimants to apply for Universal Credit before legacy benefits are phased out by March 2026. The DWP is progressively migrating claimants from six legacy benefits to Universal Credit, with a focus on completing the switch by the stated deadline.
Benefit claimants are being urged to take note as the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) sets out the deadline for when certain payments will cease next year. As the Universal Credit 's rollout advances, those on so-called legacy benefits must transition to the new benefit to maintain their financial support. Claimants are required to submit their applications for Universal Credit before the programme concludes next year, as legacy benefits will come to an end.
Universal Credit will replace these six benefits: The DWP has issued 'migration notices' to inform individuals that they need to apply for Universal Credit to keep receiving payments. The full migration initiative kicked off in April 2023, with around 500,000 tax credit-only households contacted between 2023 and 2024 to tell them to switch to Universal Credit. During the current phase from 2024 to 2025, the DWP has dispatched notices to recipients of tax credits and other benefits, including all Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), and Housing Benefit claimants. By September 2024, approximately 440,000 households in this group received letters. The DWP stated: 'All tax credit claims will be closed by March 2025.' With the scheme progressing well according to officials, the migration of an additional 800,000 claimants who receive income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) only, or income-related ESA and Housing Benefit, has been sped up. The DWP began sending letters to people in this category from September 2024, aiming to reach everyone by December 2025. The Government has announced a cut-off date for its welfare reforms, stating: 'The DWP plans to move all legacy benefit claimants to Universal Credit by March 2026, completing the Universal Credit rollout and closing all legacy benefits by this date.' Claimants will have a minimum of three months from their migration notification to submit their application, although this can be extended for valid reason
Universal Credit Legacy Benefits DWP Welfare Reforms Benefit Claimants
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