The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has now restarted the ‘managed migration’ process of moving legacy benefit claimants over to Universal Credit, with the aim of completing the transfer for 2.6 million people by the end of 2024.
Up to 2.6 million people on older style benefits including 1.2m currently claiming Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and one million on Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits, 100,000 on Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and Housing Benefit, plus 200,000 on Income Support will receive these letters, or ‘Migration Notices’ over the coming months.
However, many legacy benefit claimants may not be aware that at the start of the year, the DWP announced that a scheme supporting people making a new claim for Universal Credit will be delivered independently by the Citizens Advice network, in partnership with Citizens Advice Scotland, for another year.
The 'Help to Claim' service will now run until March 2023 and since its launch in 2019, has supported over half a million people across the country with their Universal Credit application - nine in 10 benefit claimants who used the service rated their overall experience as 'good' or 'very good'.
Trained advisers provide advice for anyone who requires support to make a new Universal Credit claim, including those moving from a legacy benefit, such as how to collect the relevant evidence and fill in the application.
The Help to Claim service can also help with additional advice such as preparing for a first Jobcentre appointment.
Commenting at the time on the extension of the scheme, Dame Clare Moriarty, Chief Executive of Citizens Advice, said: “We’re glad to continue this important service as we’ve seen first hand the difference our advisers make in helping people access Universal Credit.
“We’ll continue to use our frontline insights to suggest enhancements to the way benefits are delivered, further helping the people we support.”
How to access the Help to Claim service
People will be able to access Help to Claim support from Citizens Advice via its website here and through the free phone service between 8am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
Help to Claim phone numbers:
- 0800 023 2581 in Scotland
- 0800 144 8444 in England
- 0800 024 1220 in Wales
The service is free, impartial and completely confidential.
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