HALF a million households on old-style benefits will be asked to claim Universal Credit by 2025 – but not everyone receiving government support must move to the new system.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is axing six benefits as it transfers claimants across to the new system in a process known as “managed migration”.
Under the plans Universal Credit will replace a range of means-tested benefits and tax credits, currently known as “legacy benefits”.
These include Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
Around 1.66million households were claiming these benefits in November, 2023, according to the latest official figures.
Households whose benefits need to move across to the new system will receive a letter from the DWP which will guide them on how the process will work.
Once you have submitted a claim for Universal Credit you will not be able to go back to your old benefit.
But not all those who currently receive these “legacy benefits” will be transferred across to the new system.
Some households will not move across to Universal Credit and will receive different benefits instead.
Here we explain how to tell if you’re one of them.
If you are already claiming tax credits and are of state pension age – currently aged 66 or over – then the DWP will write to you.
Those in a couple where one of you is under and one is above the state pension age will also get a letter.
You may be asked to apply for Universal Credit or Pension Credit depending on your circumstances.
If you are of state pension age and are asked to apply for Universal Credit then you can choose to claim Pension Credit instead, so long as you meet the criteria.
But if you do so you will not be able to move to Universal Credit later on.
If you are invited to claim pension credit you will be sent a letter which will say when your tax credits will stop.
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
If you just receive Housing Benefit or claim certain other benefits alongside it then you will be moved to Universal Credit.
Those who claim tax credits, Income Support or Employment and Support Allowance with Housing Benefit will be transferred to Universal Credit.
But you will not move to Universal Credit if you currently receive Housing Benefit and you:
Instead you will continue to receive Housing Benefit to help you cover your housing costs.
If you only receive certain benefits including New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) then you will not need to move across to Universal Credit.
ESA and JSA were originally offered as means-tested benefits but this is no longer the case.
This means the amount of money you can get is not generally affected by other income or savings you have.
A small number of people will not be entitled to universal credit or pension credit and they will not be asked to make a claim for either.
Instead, these people will continue to receive their current benefits until April 5, 2025, unless a change in their situation means that their payments will end sooner.
After this date their entitlement will stop and no further payments will be made.
For everyone else, the DWP has already published a timetable which outlines when you should receive a letter called a “Managed Migration Notice”.
When you will be asked to move across to Universal Credit:
Those who receive certain other benefits such as income support and housing benefits should have already received a letter.
If you receive this letter but do not act within three months then you may miss benefit payments.
The deadline to make a claim will be on the Migration Notice.
Whether you are eligible to claim Universal Credit will depend on your individual circumstances.
You may be eligible if you meet all of the following criteria:
Your partner’s savings and income will be taken into account, even if they are not eligible for Universal Credit themselves.
You can claim Universal Credit online, by calling the Universal Credit Migration Notice helpline on 0800 169 0328 or by going to a Jobcentre Plus.
If you need additional help to complete your application then contact Citizens Advice.
If you do not know which benefits you are on then speak to an independent adviser.
