DWP sending letter to hundreds of thousands of households with three-month warning

Hundreds of thousands of households will be receiving letters from the DWP about changes to their benefits. People who receive these Migration Notice letters are being warned not to ignore them or throw them away because they are important.

The letters will set out changes to their benefits as part of the switch to Universal Credit and give them three months from the day they receive it to apply for Universal Credit. If they don't they will risk losing their benefits.

It's part of the long process to move claimants of different benefits over to Universal Credit. People have been told not to worry unless they receive a letter. They will then need to take action.

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Claimants being contacted during April include some of those on income support and tax credits with housing benefits. A number of benefits are being brought together under Universal Credit as part of major changes to the welfare system.

People will continue to be contacted throughout the year depending what benefits they receive. The DWP says: "You need to move to Universal Credit if you’ve received a Migration Notice letter, as one or more of your benefits will be ending soon.

"To continue receiving financial support you must claim Universal Credit by the deadline date given in your letter. This is three months from the date the letter was sent out.

"If you cannot claim Universal Credit by the deadline date, you should contact the Universal Credit Migration Notice helpline as soon as possible. You may be able to get more time to make a claim if you have a good reason. You must request this before the deadline date on your letter."