Universal Credit managed migration to be extended to a further half million claimants in the coming months

2 mins read

Thursday 2 May 2024

Tags: universal credit, managed migration

Managed migration is the process where claimants on existing means tested benefits and tax credits – known as the legacy benefits – are told these benefits are ending and are asked to claim Universal Credit instead.

Up until recently managed migration only applied to people getting tax credits and no other legacy benefits.

However, the Department of Work and Pensions is now sending managed migration notices to claimants on other benefits. These will be issued: 

  • to claimants on income support and to those getting tax credits with housing benefit from April 2024;
  • to claimants on housing benefit only from June 2024;
  • to claimants on income-related employment and support allowance in combination with child tax credit from July 2024;
  • to pension aged claimants (including mixed aged couples) of tax credits from August 2024; and
  • to claimants on income-based jobseeker’s allowance from September 2024.

The Department of Work and Pensions expects that all claimants in these groups will have been migrated onto Universal Credit by March 2025.

Disabled adults who are getting Income-related Employment and Support Allowance only or income related Employment Support Allowance in combination with housing benefit will be migrated slightly later. It is expected that the first claimants in this group will be migrated from autumn 2024 onwards, with the last claimants sent migration notices by December 2025.

Worried what managed migration means for you?

If you are confused or worried about what managed migration will mean for your family, Contact has lots of information that can help on our website.

Watch our new video – what to do if you get a managed migration letter

We have produced a new video where our benefits expert Derek explains what you should do if you receive a managed migration notice telling you that your legacy benefits are going to stop.