DWP issues 'do not ignore' warning over key letter

DWP issues 'do not ignore' warning over key letter
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The Department of Work and Pensions has urged benefit claimants not to ignore a key letter that has been sent out. Notices have been mailed out to those moving onto Universal Credit from legacy benefits.

Since September 2024 the DWP has sent around 800,000 'managed migration' letters to claimants on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) only, or on incomed-related ESA and Housing Benefit. The letter gives people three months to apply for Universal Credit before their benefits will stop, although the system is different for those considered vulnerable.

According to Neil Couling, senior reporting officer for Universal Credit, around 100,000 people have been moved over from ESA to Universal Credit, out of 900,000 people who need to move over. He told the Work and Pensions Committee there were 9,600 people still on Income Support - many of whom have vulnerabilities - plus approximately 3,000 claimants on Jobseeker's Allowance and 28,000 people left on tax credits.

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Mr Couling said there was an 'enhanced support journey' to help those with vulnerabilities move over to Universal Credit, the Mirror reports. He explained: "If people do not respond to our migration notice and they're on ESA, we do not switch off their entitlement to ESA without attempting further contact.

"We send text messages where we have phone numbers, we contact other parties, social services and others, who may be in contact with the claimant. We check our old records if there are no routes in."

The civil servant added: "If none of that works, we then offer a visit, and we try and visit the claimant. That we developed with the stakeholder groups, as they worked with us, they are happy with that approach."

Noting one issue that has been flagged up since ESA claimants have been moving over was that people would sometimes apply for Universal Credit, but not complete their claim when asked for further details, Mr Couling said. He continued: "We're looking now at how do we support people in that initial assessment period to make sure that they don't drop out having made a claim, terminated their ESA and then don't go through to Universal Credit."

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Currently, around 95 per cent of ESA claimants moving to Universal Credit were paid in full within a month of getting their application in, he said. Those whose benefits drop as a result of moving over were also given transitional protection, which tops up their payment to their previous amount. People can make a claim for Universal Credit within a month of their old benefits ending and will still get the transitional protection.

In cases where the DWP was unable to calculate a person's transitional protection, Mr Couling said they would get a "part payment so they are not left without money". Claimants of ESA also receive a two-week linking payment to cover the time during which they have claimed Universal Credit.

It is hoped the DWP will be able to move over all legacy benefit claimants to Universal Credit by March 2026. These are the six legacy benefits being replaced by Universal Credit are:

  • Housing Benefit

  • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)

  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

  • Child Tax Credits (CTC)

  • Working Tax Credits (WTC)

  • Income Support.