Reminder: don’t ignore your universal credit ‘migration’ letter

If you’re receiving legacy benefits and get a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), don’t ignore it. It could affect your payments.

Thousands of households are being sent ‘migration notices’ as the government moves everyone receiving older ‘legacy’ benefits onto universal credit.

What is managed migration?

The DWP is phasing out older benefits and replacing them with universal credit, a single payment that combines several types of financial support.

These legacy benefits include:

• tax credits
• housing benefit
• income support
• jobseeker's allowance
• income-related employment and support allowance (ESA)

The migration process started in July 2022.

What happens when you get a letter?

If you receive a migration notice:

• you’ll have three months to switch to universal credit
• don’t wait — if you miss the deadline, your current benefits could stop
• so far, over 381,000 people have lost their payments by not acting in time, according to DWP data

The DWP is increasing the number of letters it sends, aiming to reach 83,000 households per month.

If you’re on income-related ESA, expect to receive a letter soon.

The government has moved the final deadline for ESA claimants up from 2028 to March 2026, so it’s important to act when your letter arrives.

Support is available

If you’re unsure what to do or need support making the switch, help is available:

• don’t hesitate to contact the DWP
• contact your local Jobcentre

If you think you might be missing out on benefits, we can check you’re claiming everything you’re entitled to. So get in touch or try our benefits calculator. 

How to claim universal credit

There are a few ways you can apply:

• online
• by phone at 0800 169 0328
• in person at your local jobcentre

Once you’ve applied, it usually takes about five weeks to receive your first payment. After that, you’ll keep receiving it unless your circumstances change.