DWP issues three-week warning to everyone who receives Housing Benefit

A three-week warning has been issued to all individuals receiving Housing Benefit.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will begin contacting these individuals in June regarding significant changes to their benefits. This is part of a large-scale process to transition people on certain benefits to the single-payment Universal Credit system.

Claimants will receive Migration Notice letters at varying times, depending on their current benefit. These crucial letters should not be ignored as they inform claimants that they have a three-month window to apply for Universal Credit to ensure a smooth transition. If this deadline is missed, their benefits will cease as the process is not automatic.

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Those solely on Housing Benefit are next in line to receive these notices. These claimants will start receiving Migration Notices in June, so it's important to keep an eye out for these letters and not disregard them. In July, those on Employment Support Allowance with Child Tax Credits will receive their notices, followed by Jobseekers Allowance recipients in September, reports Birmingham Live.

The Government has outlined its timetable for the next phase of transferring claimants to Universal Credit, stating: "Our plans for 2024/25 are to undertake the issuing of Migration Notices to in scope Working Age benefit households sequentially, starting with Income Support claimants and those claiming Tax Credits with Housing Benefit from April, Housing Benefit only claimants from June, Employment Support Allowance with Child Tax Credits from July and Jobseekers Allowance in September. Households may be in receipt of a combination of benefits, for example an Income Support recipient could also be claiming Housing Benefit and/or Child Tax Credits."

This move is part of the long-term strategy to streamline the benefits system by shifting all eligible recipients onto Universal Credit. The final groups of claimants are expected to transition within the coming year. For those concerned or seeking clarity on the changes and their impact, comprehensive guidance is available at gov.uk, or by looking up 'move to Universal Credit'.