DWP says 'act without delay' over Universal Credit notice

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has urged benefit claimants to look out for specific 'migration notices'. It comes amid the Government's plans to move more people to a 'modern benefit regime'.

A total of 943,343 households have already been contacted about this, with more than 60,000 notices set to be issued each month from February 2025 to the end of the year. The notices are for people who receive benefits which are soon to be replaced by Universal Credit.

This includes Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) - support provided if you cannot work due to an illness or disability. More than 800,000 people are currently on this older benefit.

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But the DWP hopes to move them to Universal Credit by March 2026 - two years sooner than initially planned. Today, it announced a £15 million funding boost to support this initiative and the advice delivered by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland, which have helped more than one million Universal Credit claimants since 2019.

Minister for Social Security and Disability Sir Stephen Timms MP said: "This funding boost will support many people as they make the move from old benefits to Universal Credit – ensuring customers feel confident and informed throughout the application process. I want to encourage anyone receiving a migration notice over the coming months to act without delay to secure quick access to benefit entitlement.

"The biggest reforms to employment support for a generation will also ensure more people get the help they need to get into work and on at work, by overhauling jobcentres, tackling inactivity with local work, health and skills plans, and delivering a Youth Guarantee."

Dame Clare Moriarty, chief cxecutive of Citizens Advice, added: "Over the last five years our specially trained advisers have supported thousands of people across Britain to navigate the move from old benefits to Universal Credit. We make our service as accessible as possible, offering phone, chat and British Sign Language options, so we’re there for people as they move over.

"This funding boost is credit to the vital support our advisers provide and means we’ll be able to help even more people make their first application." The DWP has laid out the exact dates you might receive a migration notice for Universal Credit.

These are outlined below: