Move to Universal Credit if you get a Migration Notice letter
As one or more of your benefits will be ending soon, you need to move to Universal Credit.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Only read this guidance if you get a Migration Notice letter
To continue getting financial support, you must claim Universal Credit by the deadline date in your letter.
If you have not received a Migration Notice letter visit the Universal Credit guidance.
If you or your partner is State Pension age
There are different eligibility rules and guidance if you get a Migration Notice letter and you are:
Benefits that are ending
The following benefits are ending and are being replaced by Universal Credit:
-
Tax credits: Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit
-
Housing Benefit
-
Income Support
-
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
-
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Other benefits, such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), will stay the same.
When you need to apply
To continue receiving financial support you must claim Universal Credit by the deadline date given in your letter. This is 3 months from the date the letter was sent out.
If you cannot claim Universal Credit by the deadline date, you should contact the Universal Credit Migration Notice helpline as soon as possible.
You may be able to get more time to make a claim if you have a good reason. You must request this before your deadline date.
Eligibility rules for claiming
You can claim Universal Credit even if you are working to help with living costs.
As your benefits are ending and you need to move to Universal Credit some of the normal eligibility rules for claiming are different. This is known as ‘transitional protection’. To get transitional protection you must claim by your deadline date.
If you get tax credits
If you receive tax credits, you can make a Universal Credit claim even if you have money, savings and investments of more than £16,000.
After 12 months, normal eligibility rules will apply. You will not be eligible for Universal Credit if you still have more than £16,000 in money, savings and investments.
If you apply after the deadline date and have money, savings and investments of more than £16,000 you will not be able to claim Universal Credit.
If you’re a student
You can claim Universal Credit if you or your partner are in full-time advanced education (such as university) for the duration of your course. Find out more about Universal Credit and students.
What you’ll get
On Universal Credit, most people will be entitled to the same amount they received from their previous benefits, or more.
If your circumstances change before you make your claim, this may affect the amount you get.
Your Universal Credit payment is made up of a standard allowance and any extra amounts that apply to you, for example if you:
-
have children
-
have a disability or health condition which prevents you from working
-
need help paying your rent
Find out more about what you’ll get.
‘Transitional protection’ top up payments
If the amount you’re entitled to on your existing benefits is more than you’ll get on Universal Credit, a top up is available. This is called ‘transitional protection’.
You can only get this additional amount if you have received a Migration Notice and claim by your deadline date.
If your circumstances change after you’ve made your claim, any transitional protection you receive may stop.
Benefits calculators
You can use an independent, free and anonymous benefits calculator to see how much you could get on Universal Credit.
Benefit calculators give estimates so may not be accurate.
The entitledto and the Policy in Practice Better Off calculators:
- calculate transitional protection (top up payments) available
- take into account if you’re State Pension age
- can be used if you receive tax credits and have money, savings and investments of more than £16,000
Calculations do not include any deductions that may be taken from your Universal Credit amount.
DWP is not responsible for information given by the calculators.
How Universal Credit is worked out
Your Universal Credit award is calculated based on your circumstances each month. These are called your ‘assessment periods’. This is different to tax credits which are calculated yearly.
Deductions
Money can be taken from your Universal Credit payments to pay for things like:
-
court fines
-
rent arrears
-
overpayments or arrears from tax credits, Council Tax, Housing Benefit, ESA and JSA
-
utility debts, like electricity, gas, water
Money cannot be deducted from things like your child allowance, childcare, and housing costs.
Find out more about money taken off your Universal Credit payment.
Earnings
If you’re working, how much Universal Credit you get will depend on your earnings. This includes income from working full time, part time, employed or self-employed.
Your circumstances are assessed every month. Changes in your circumstances can affect how much you’re paid for the whole assessment period – not just from the date you report them.
The way Universal Credit is worked out is different to tax credits.
Find out how your wages affect your payments.
What you’ll get if you live with your partner
How much you can get will depend on your partner’s income and savings, as well as your own.
If you’re moving from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
If you’ve been receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), you will not need to provide medical evidence such as fit notes, or have a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) if all the following apply:
-
you move from ESA to Universal Credit without a break
-
you’ve already completed a WCA
-
you were in the ‘support group’ or ‘work-related activity’ group in ESA when you made your claim to Universal Credit
You may need to have another assessment if your WCA is due for a review or your condition changes.
If you were providing medical evidence on ESA before you moved, you will still need to provide medical evidence on Universal Credit until you get a WCA decision.
Claiming after your deadline
If you choose not to claim Universal Credit now, your existing benefits will still end. You can claim Universal Credit later, however normal Universal Credit eligibility rules will apply, for example you will not be entitled to transitional protection.
How to claim Universal Credit
You can apply for Universal Credit online.
You need to create an account to make a claim. You must complete your claim within 28 days of creating your account or you’ll have to start again.
When you or your partner make a claim to Universal Credit your existing benefits that are being replaced by Universal Credit will stop. You cannot go back to those benefits, because they are ending.
If you cannot claim online, call the Universal Credit Migration Notice helpline.
If you’re in a couple
You’re treated as a couple in Universal Credit if you live in the same household and are:
-
married to each other
-
civil partners of each other
-
living together as if you’re married
Couples who live together
If you live with your partner you must make a joint claim for your household, even if your partner is not eligible for Universal Credit. You cannot claim by yourself.
You must both create Universal Credit online accounts. The first person to create their account will receive a partner linking code. You need to give this code to your partner to use when they create their online account. This links the accounts together to make your joint account.
Once you’ve created your joint account you can make a claim for Universal Credit.
Couples who live apart
If you’re in a couple who live apart and you both get Migration Notices, you’ll each need to make separate single claims.
Because you received a Migration Notice, you’ll still be entitled to the different eligibility rules:
- you can claim if you’re a full-time student
- if you get tax credits you can claim if you have money, savings and investments of more than £16,000
You will not be eligible for the transitional protection top-up payment.
What you’ll need to apply
To apply online you’ll need:
-
your bank, building society or credit union account details
-
an email address
-
access to a phone
To prove your identity, you’ll need some documents such as your:
-
driving licence
-
passport
-
debit or credit card
-
payslip or P60
To complete your claim you’ll need to provide information about:
-
your housing, for example how much rent you pay
-
your earnings, for example payslips
-
any disability or health condition that affects your work
-
how much you pay for childcare if you want help with childcare costs
-
your savings and any investments, like shares or a property that you rent out
You might need an appointment with the Universal Credit team if:
-
they need more information
-
you cannot verify your identity online
You’ll be told if this appointment will be in a jobcentre or on the phone.
Apply for Universal Credit online
Steps to getting Universal Credit
-
Set up an Online Universal Credit account.
-
Complete and submit online claim.
-
Prove your identity.
-
Provide documents and evidence to support your claim.
-
Agree the activities in your claimant commitment.
When you prove your identity we will know you have received a Migration Notice letter and your information will be linked up automatically.
If you need help to make your claim you can get free support from the Citizens Advice Help to Claim service:
How you’re paid
Universal Credit is paid once a month, usually into your bank, building society or credit union account.
If you’re not able to open a bank, building society or credit union account, call the Universal Credit Migration Notice helpline for advice about how to arrange a different way of getting paid.
Your payment can include an amount for housing costs, which you’ll usually need to pay to your landlord. If your landlord was being paid your housing costs directly, you’ll need to discuss the change of payment arrangements with them.
Final payments for existing benefits
The date of your final payments from your existing benefits depends on whichever is first:
-
the deadline date on your letter
-
when you make a claim to Universal Credit
If any further payments are due, they will be made shortly after your entitlement ends.
Moving from tax credits
If you claim tax credits, your entitlement will end as soon as you make a claim to Universal Credit.
If you do not make a claim by the deadline, your tax credit entitlement will end on the day before the deadline.
Moving from other benefits
If you’ve applied for Universal Credit, you’ll keep getting your current benefit paid for 2 more weeks. You must still be eligible for your current benefit. You will not need to pay back these extra payments and they will not affect the Universal Credit you might get.
This only applies if you’re getting:
-
income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
-
income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
-
Income Support
-
Housing Benefit
If you do not make a claim to Universal Credit by the deadline, your last day of entitlement to your existing benefits will be 2 weeks after the deadline.
If you receive both tax credits and any of these benefits, your tax credits will end as soon as you make a claim, or the day before your deadline date (whichever is first). Your other benefits will continue for 2 weeks.
Help while waiting for your first payment
Your claim starts on the day you submit it in your account, however it usually takes around 5 weeks to get your first payment.
If you need help with your living costs while you wait for your first payment, you can apply for an advance within your Universal Credit online account.
You’ll need to pay back your advance in instalments from your future Universal Credit payments.
Find out more about how you’re paid including payment dates, if you live with a partner, and alternative payment arrangements.
Your responsibilities
Your responsibilities will depend on your circumstances.
When you have made your claim to Universal Credit you’ll need to manage your own finances and maintain your claim online. This includes:
-
updating your account
-
attending jobcentre appointments, if appropriate
-
managing your own rent and other housing costs, unless you have another payment arrangement in place
-
reporting changes in circumstances
To get Universal Credit payments, you’ll need to accept an agreement called a ‘claimant commitment’. Find out more about claimant commitments.
Changes in circumstances you must tell us about
You need to tell us about changes:
-
to your personal details, including change of contact details or bank account
-
to work and money, including earnings, rent, jobs and savings
-
to your health
-
in your household, including children, care, partner and immigration status
You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you deliberately give wrong information or do not report a change in your circumstances.
Support
Universal Credit Migration Notice helpline
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Phone: 0800 169 0328
0800 phone numbers are free to call from mobiles and landlines.
If you cannot speak or hear on the phone
You can use our Relay UK service to make a free, text-supported call to the Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline. Dial 18001 followed by 0800 169 0328.
Other financial help and support
If you get Universal Credit, you could be eligible for other benefits or financial support. You should check what you can get.
You might be able to get different support in Scotland.
If you’re in financial difficulties, you can get help and advice from the government, local councils, and other organisations, such as advicelocal.uk.
Updates to this page
Last updated 17 September 2024 + show all updates
-
Clarified that if you’re in a couple who live apart and you both get Migration Notices, you’ll each need to make separate single claims. You will not be entitled to the transitional protection 'top up'. But you will be entitled to claim Universal Credit even if you're a full-time student and have money, savings and investments of more than £16,000.
-
Linked to 2 new guides for the following claimants who have received a Migration Notice letter: 1) For those in a couple and only one partner is State Pension age. 2) For those who are State Pension age, or in a couple who are both state Pension age. Added link to Help to Claim Scotland. Confirmed that claimants who are moving to Universal Credit from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) without a break do not need to provide fit notes if they meet the listed criteria.
-
The entitledto and Better Off calculators now include transitional protection calculations.
-
Added information on: - claiming after your deadline - how we know you are a migration notice claimant - final payments if you get both tax credits and other legacy benefits - claimant commitment details
-
Added translation
-
If you’re not able to open a bank, building society or credit union account, call the Universal Credit Migration Notice helpline for advice about how to arrange a different way of getting paid. If your payment does not arrive on time, send us a message using your online account or phone the Universal Credit helpline.
-
Added links to the new transitional protection guidance.
-
You can now use the 'entitledto' benefits calculator if you receive tax credits and have more than £16,000 in money, savings and investments.
-
Added translation
-
This guidance also applies to Scotland from 31 July 2023.
-
Money can also be taken from your Universal Credit payment to pay for tax credits overpayments.
-
First published.