The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is moving people over from legacy benefits to Universal Credit through its Managed Migration programme
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is sending letters to thousands of claimants ahead of a major benefit shake-up this year.
The department has issued a three-month warning ahead of April, as Tax Credits will be scrapped as part of its “Managed Migration” plan. Overall, the DWP is looking to axe six so-called “legacy benefits” and replace them with Universal Credit.
The benefits included in the shake-up are Tax Credits, Child Tax Credits, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support, Housing Benefit, and Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Under the DWP’s Managed Migration strategy – which restarted in 2022 and ramped up in September 2024 – those on old-style benefits are receiving letters or “migration notices” through the post. Once claimants receive this letter, they have three months to submit a claim for Universal Credit. If they don’t, their current claim will be stopped.
The first legacy benefit to be stopped will be Tax Credits in April of this year. After this date, no current claims will be reissued anyone claiming now will need to act. The DWP planned to have sent all Tax Credit claimants a migration notice.
Social security and disability minister Sir Stephen Timms has issued a sharp reminder not to delay transferring over. He said: “As we start the new year, families across the country are thinking about what’s next.”
“With this in mind, I encourage everyone who has received a migration notice to act as quickly as possible and move onto Universal Credit. We know how quickly time can pass when you’re busy – and with just three months to go until Tax Credits close on the 5th of April – now is the time to respond to your Universal Credit migration notice to continue receiving benefits.”
The DWP is working to send migration notices to all those claiming legacy benefits by the end of this year. This means hundreds of thousands of letters will be sent over the next 12 months. The benefits department is working to completely phase out all legacy benefits by the end of March 2026.
