A third of older benefit claimants failing to move to universal credit

Following the government’s announcement that it is speeding up the migration of people from legacy benefits onto universal credit, concerns have been raised that older claimants are missing out.

The Department for Work and Pensions confirmed last month that all migration notices will be sent by the end of 2025 – three years sooner than planned.

It has been suggested the government expects to save £5bn due to the high number of claimants who will fail to make the move to universal credit. So far, one in four of those sent migration notices haven’t successfully switched.

People over sixty are the most likely to fail to complete the migration process, with almost one in three dropping out.

Which benefits are being replaced by universal credit?

Six benefits and tax credits are being replaced by universal credit. They are:

• working tax credit
• child tax credit
• income support
• housing benefit
• income-based jobseeker’s allowance
• income-related employment and support allowance

What to do when you get a migration notice

When you receive your migration notice, you have three months to make a claim for universal credit.

If you fail to apply within three months, your benefit payments will stop.

People are encouraged to apply online. But if you can’t do this, call the universal-credit-migration-notice helpline.

Citizens Advice also run a help-to-claim service