Thousands of people have been forced to move away from their existing state benefits as Universal Credit prepares to replace six legacy benefits. People claiming Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Housing Benefit, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit will be affected by the change.
Those affected will receive a Migration Notice, which will inform them that their existing benefits or tax credits will be ending. After recieving the letter, those affected will have three months to apply for Universal Credit reports Lancashire Live.
Those claiming Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit who do not make a claim by the deadline will have their tax credits entitlement end on the day before the deadline. The final payment dates are different depending on if you claim Housing Benefit, Income Support, income-based JSA and income-related ESA.
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Those claiming benefits will see their entitlement continue for two weeks after they have made a claim for Universal Credit. For those that do not put in a claim, their last day of entitlement to any of these existing benefits will be two weeks after the deadline given in the letter.
This benefits changeover plan started in Harrogate before the coronavirus pandemic, but was paused in March 2020 as the DWP diverted all resources to deal with a huge increase in new claims for Universal Credit as the economy was hit. However, the rollout is now continuing, and the DWP plans to move the 2.6 million remaining households on legacy benefits and tax credits onto Universal Credit by 2024, except for ESA where the switch won't happen until 2028.
In May 2022, 500 households in Bolton and Medway received letters telling them they must go on to Universal Credit, followed by Truro and Falmouth in July 2022, Harrow in August 2022, Northumberland in September 2022, and all postcodes in Cornwall during February 2023.
The DWP said in a new update: "Last month we began to increase the number of Migration Notices issued to tax credit claimants and by September 2023 managed migration to Universal Credit activity will be taking place in all regions of Great Britain. On April 3, we expanded into Avon, Somerset, and Gloucester and we will be expanding into East London and Cheshire in May.
"Currently, work is progressing towards expansion of activity into the Greater Manchester and north-east Yorkshire and Humber areas for June."
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