The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) have started to send out notices to people getting tax credits, either just tax credits, or tax credits with other benefits to move onto Universal Credit.   It is expected that everyone receiving Tax Credits will migrate to Universal Credit by April 2024

Over the next few years, everyone on Income Support, income-related ESA, income-based JSA, and Housing Benefit will also be receiving this notice. People who get ESA and don’t get any other benefits will probably be the last to be moved over.

Some claimants will be entitled to less money on Universal Credit than they will normally get from their legacy benefits. If this is the case, there’ll be transitional protection for people moving over to Universal Credit, so they are not financially worse off. This protection is only available to people who have received a migration notice and claim by the deadline date on their letter or people who have Severe Disability Premium in their legacy benefits.

Look out for a letter called a ‘Universal Credit Migration Notice’ from the DWP. Tax Credit claimants will receive this letter from the DWP with a HMRC logo or from the Department for Communities if they live in Northern Ireland. This notice letter is important as it will tell you that your existing benefits are stopping, and you need to make a claim for Universal Credit. It will also tell you what you need to do and by when.

You might get a leaflet telling you to get ready for Universal Credit – if the letter you get doesn’t have a deadline on it, it isn’t your migration notice. Wait until you get a proper migration notice

Please contact our Welfare Benefit Team at welfare.benefits@northstarhg.co.uk  for further advice