29 June 2024 , 06:00
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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has shared a list of people who won't be moved over to Universal Credit.
The benefits department is currently working on moving people claiming older "legacy" benefits to Universal Credit. The process is called managed migration and this year it was accelerated meaning all claimants will be moved across by 2025. However, some claimants will not be moved over. Instead, they will either continue to get legacy benefits, or they will move to Pension Credit.
On its new Universal Credit move website, the DWP explained that people will not be moved to Universal Credit if they only receive Housing Benefit and they, or their partner:
- Are of state pension age (66 years old or over)
- Live in temporary accommodation provided by a council because you were homeless
- Live in supported accommodation including refuges, hostels, extra care housing and some sheltered housing
Instead, these groups will continue to receive support with housing costs through Housing Benefit. The DWP also noted that if you only receive new style benefits, either New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA or New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), then you will not be asked to move to Universal Credit. Instead, you’ll continue to receive the benefits you’re already getting.
If you're of state pension age and currently get Tax Credits you may be asked to move to Universal Credit or Pensions Credit depending on your personal circumstances. This is the same for mixed-aged couples if one is over the state pension age. When it's your turn, the DWP will write to you and tell you which benefit you will need to apply for and by when.
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According to its website, if you are asked to claim Pension Credit, or already claim it, you will receive a letter called a Tax Credit Closure Notice. If you’re asked to claim Universal Credit, you can choose to claim Pension Credit instead, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. But, if you do this, you won’t get any transitional protections and you won’t be able to switch back to Universal Credit later. When you move to Universal Credit the DWP warned that you may be notified of overpaid tax credits with a letter from HMRC.
Under the current system, once you receive your migration notice you will have three months to put in a claim for Universal Credit. If you don't, you could lose your benefit entitlement. As part of the DWP's ongoing plan from July, people claiming Employment Support Allowance with Child Tax Credits will receive their migration notices, followed by Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) claimants in September. Households claiming Tax Credits alongside Housing Benefits started to receive their notices in April, this means they have until July to put in their claim.