The Department for Work and Pensions is contacting thousands of claimants on six benefits before payments cease. Under the managed migration system, the DWP is ending six legacy benefits.
Benefits Being Stopped
The affected benefits include Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, and Working Tax Credit. These are being replaced by Universal Credit, a single benefit covering over eight million claimants, according to the latest DWP data.
Migration Notices Sent
DWP figures show that 2,352,886 claimants have received migration notices. Of these, 1,985,703 individuals (in 1,574,075 households) have applied for Universal Credit. Among those who have claimed, 808,633 households received transitional protection to ensure their payments are not reduced.
Citizens Advice advises that most claimants should have received a migration notice by now, as legacy benefits will end for most people in July 2026. Currently, 10,667 individuals are still in the process of moving to Universal Credit.
Timing of Benefit Stoppages
Your old benefits may stop before Universal Credit starts, depending on the benefit and when you claim. If you claim before the deadline, tax credits stop the day before Universal Credit begins. Housing Benefit, income-based JSA, income-related ESA, and Income Support stop two weeks after claiming Universal Credit. If you claim after the deadline, tax credits stop the day before the deadline, and the other benefits stop two weeks after the deadline.
