DWP announces 'end date' for six benefits and will 'formally close' payments

DWP announces 'end date' for six benefits and will 'formally close' payments

by · Birmingham Live

The Department for Work and Pensions is set to send out thousands of letters over a major update as the end date for six benefits is confirmed.Thousands of claimants will receive a letter about the managed migration process as they're moved over to Universal Credit.

Labour Party social security minister Sir Stephen Timms issued a statement in Parliament about the project, saying that since 2022, some 943,000 households have been notified of the need to move over to the new benefit.

The remaining group that needs to be notified and moved over are those on income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Mr Timms said: " DWP will steadily increase the number of migration notices being sent to people receiving ESA over the next months and are aiming to issue 63,000 migration notices each month from February, sending the final notices in early December 2025 and fully moving people to Universal Credit and closing legacy benefits by the end of March 2026."

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He also announced that ministers hope to "formally close" the Move to Universal Credit programme by the end of March 2025. As part of the managed migration process, Universal Credit is replacing Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit.

Mr Timms said: "Universal Credit provides greater support and incentives to get people into work and increase the hours they work than the benefits it replaces." Most people who get legacy benefits are being moved onto Universal Credit.

If you get one of these legacy benefits you’ll have to move onto Universal Credit when you get a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) telling you to claim Universal Credit by a certain date - this is a 'migration notice'.

You'll also get a letter when your situation changes in certain ways - for example if you’ve separated from a partner or moved to a different council area.