Why you shouldn’t ignore your universal credit ‘migration’ letter

If you get a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) saying you’re being moved on to universal credit, then don’t ignore it - or you could miss out on vital support.

The government is moving everyone on older ‘legacy’ benefits on to universal credit - a single payment that combines several types of financial support.

So you could get a letter - called a migration notice - if you’re claiming support such as:

• 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 this letter, you’ll have three months to switch to universal credit.

So don’t wait.

If you miss the deadline, your current benefits could stop.

So far, more than 2.3m migration notices have been sent out.

And of this group, almost 2m have made a universal credit claim, and 10,667 claims are still in progress.

But worryingly, 356,521 households have lost their benefits after not responding to their migration notice within three months.

So if you get your letter, don’t delay.

This is particularly important if you’re on income-related ESA, as the final deadline for ESA claimants has been moved from 2028 to March 2026.

Support is available

If you’re not sure what to do or need help with making the switch, then you can either:

• get in touch with the DWP
• contact your local Jobcentre

It’s also worth making sure you’re not missing out on any support you might be eligible for.

We can check you’re claiming everything you’re entitled to. 

So get in touch or try our benefits calculator.