The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued an urgent reminder to benefit claimants about an important deadline.
Tax credit recipients are being informed that they have only six months to get on Universal Credit and are being told to respond to their migration notices.
Multiple "legacy benefits" are being phased out over the next couple of months with Universal Credit set to become the primary benefit payment for working-age people.
Examples of said benefits include tax credits, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance.
According to the DWP, those moved to Universal Credit will not be made worse off as a result of the transition.
The letters being delivered to claimants affected are referred to as migration notices.
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The DWP has stated it will cooperate with the ombudsman's investigation GettyBetween July 2022 and June 2024, an estimated 1,140,810 claimants were sent migration notices by the Government.
Of this, group, 623,310 claimants who were sent migration notices have made a claim to Universal Credit
Out of those in receipt of the benefit payment, 232,800 households have been awarded transitional protection.
If someone is entitled to this protection, they can get a transitional protection payment added to their Universal Credit entitlement if they get more from their previous tax credits or benefits.
Sir Stephen Timms, the minister for Social Security and Disability, urged tax credit claimants to respond to their migration notices as soon as possible.
He shared: "Having three months to make a move may feel like a long time but life can often distract you elsewhere.
"For the best chance to secure your benefit entitlement don’t delay with responding to your migration notice.
"We are committed to ensuring a smooth transition and customers will have the full support of DWP staff to help manage this change."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The transition to Universal Credit from legacy benefits is not automaticPAAs part of its warning, the DWP provided a timeline for when those on certain benefits will likely get their migration notice from:
- Tax credits with Housing Benefit - From April 2024
- Income Support (Income Support only, Income Support with tax credits, Income Support with Housing Benefit, Income Support with Housing Benefit and tax credits) - From April 2024
- Housing Benefits only - From June 2024
- Income-related Employment Support Allowance (ESA), with Child Tax Credits - From July 2024
- Tax credits (if you are of State Pension age and are asked to move to Pension Credit) - From July 2024
- Tax credits (if you are of State Pension age and are asked to move to Universal Credit) - From September 2024
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) - From September 2024
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) only - From September 2024
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) with Housing Benefit - From September 2024.
- Tax credits, only if you are below State Pension age - From March 2023.
