Universal Credit if you're State Pension age and get a Migration Notice letter
How Universal Credit works if you’re State Pension age and you got a Migration Notice letter.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Only read this guidance if you’re State Pension age and got a Migration Notice letter
To continue getting financial support, you must have claimed Universal Credit by your deadline date.
If you did not receive a Migration Notice letter visit the Universal Credit guidance.
If you or your partner are not State Pension age and receive a Migration Notice letter
There are different eligibility rules and guidance if you get a Migration Notice letter and you’re:
- a couple where one of you is State Pension age and one of you is under State Pension age, visit: Universal Credit if you’re a ‘mixed age couple’ and get a Migration Notice letter
- under State Pension age, visit: Move to Universal Credit if you get a Migration Notice letter
Benefits that have ended or are ending
Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit (known as ‘tax credits’) have ended and been replaced by Universal Credit.
Housing Benefit is also ending and is being replaced by Universal Credit (except in certain circumstances).
Housing benefit will end even if you decided not to claim Universal Credit.
You may be eligible for Housing Benefit
Housing Benefit will be ending, apart from in the following circumstances:
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you’re in supported or temporary accommodation your Housing Benefit will continue and will not end
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if you do not get Universal Credit or stop claiming Universal Credit you’re eligible to reclaim Housing Benefit
You’re in supported or temporary accommodation
If you live in supported or temporary accommodation, your Housing Benefit will continue to be paid by your local council.
If you have not claimed Universal Credit, you’ll continue to get Housing Benefit.
As you’re getting Housing Benefit, you do not get the extra amount of Universal Credit to help with housing costs.
If you get Housing Benefit and you’re not sure if you live in supported or temporary accommodation, speak to your local council.
Reclaiming Housing Benefit
Your Housing Benefit will be ending 2 weeks after your deadline date. However, you may be eligible to reclaim Housing Benefit within 3 months if:
- your Housing Benefit is stopped, and you have not claimed Universal Credit
- you claimed before your deadline date but were not entitled to Universal Credit
- you stop receiving Universal Credit
You can get advice from your local council about backdating your Housing Benefit claim. Your claim can only be backdated for up to 3 months.
Find out more about Housing Benefit eligibility.
Eligibility
As you received a Migration Notice letter some of the normal eligibility rules for claiming were different. This is part of ‘transitional protection’.
If you received tax credits
If you got a Migration Notice letter and made a claim with money, savings and investments of more than £16,000, you will not be eligible for Universal Credit if you still have more than £16,000 in money, savings and investments after 12 assessment periods. Each assessment period is a month.
Claiming Pension Credit instead of Universal Credit
You can choose to claim Pension Credit instead of Universal Credit. If your claim to Pension Credit is accepted, you:
- cannot then apply for Universal Credit
- will not get Pension Credit transitional protection
- may receive less financial support
Find out more about Pension Credit. You can also use the Pension Credit calculator to work out how much you might get.
What you get
On Universal Credit, most people are entitled to the same amount they received from their previous benefits, or more.
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
- need help paying your rent
- have a disability or health condition which prevents you from working
Disabilities or health conditions
If you have a disability or health condition which means you get a disability benefit, you may get an extra amount of Universal Credit. You do not need to provide a fit note or have a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).
If you do not get a disability benefit, you need to provide a fit note or have a WCA to be entitled to an extra amount of Universal Credit.
Find out more about what you’ll get.
Transitional protection top up payments
If the amount you were entitled to on tax credits was more than you get on Universal Credit, you get a top up.
It’s paid to you automatically if you got a Migration Notice letter and made a Universal Credit claim by your deadline date.
Removal of the benefit cap
The benefit cap is normally applied to Universal Credit and other benefits. This is a limit on the total amount of benefit you can get. However, the benefit cap does not apply if:
- you’re State Pension age
- you’re still working
- you received a Migration Notice letter
How Universal Credit is worked out
Your Universal Credit amount is calculated based on your circumstances each month. These are called your ‘assessment periods’. This is different to tax credits which were calculated yearly.
Changes in your circumstances can affect how much you’re paid for the whole assessment period – not just from the date you report them.
Circumstances that could affect the amount you get include:
- changes before you apply for Universal Credit
- changes after you’ve made your claim
- the information we have is different from what we know from your previous benefit
Earnings
How much Universal Credit you get will depend on your earnings. This includes income from:
- full time work
- part time work
- employed or self-employed work
- pensions
The way Universal Credit is worked out is different to how tax credits were.
Find out how your wages affect your payments.
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, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- utility debts, like electricity, gas and 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.
If you’re claiming a pension
If you’re receiving Universal Credit and your pension, the amount of pension you receive is deducted from your Universal Credit amount and treated as income.
If you have delayed (‘deferred’) your State Pension
If you delayed taking your pension before you received your Migration Notice, we do not treat your deferred pension as income for 12 assessment periods.
If you then decide to take your pension within this period, it is treated as income.
After 12 assessment periods, the amount of pension you’re entitled to is counted as income, even if you’ve decided not to take it. This is known as ‘notional’ income. This can affect how much Universal Credit you get.
When you get Universal Credit, you are not able to build up any:
- extra State Pension
- State Pension lump sum (if you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016)
What you get if you live with a partner
How much you can get will depend on your partner’s income and savings, as well as your own.
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.
Help while waiting for your first payment
Your claim started on the day you submitted 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.
You’ll need to manage your own finances and maintain your Universal Credit claim online. This includes:
- updating your account
- managing your own rent and other housing costs, unless you have another payment arrangement in place
- reporting changes in circumstances
- if you’re self-employed, you will need to report your earnings every month
To get Universal Credit payments, you’ll need to accept an agreement called a ‘claimant commitment’. What you’ll need to commit to will depend on your age and circumstances. Find out more about claimant commitments.
If you’re employed or self-employed you are not expected to look for work during your first 12 assessment periods.
Changes in circumstances you must tell us about
You must report changes to your circumstances so you keep getting the right amount each month.
Changes can include:
- changing your bank details
- changes to work and money, such as earnings, pension income, jobs, rent and savings
- change to your health
- household changes, including children, care, partner and immigration status
Find out more about changes in circumstances you must tell us about.
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.
Work-related conditions and assessments
You can continue working with no ‘work-related conditions’ for 12 assessment periods.
This means you will not have to:
- increase your hours
- find additional work
- attend work-related meetings at your local jobcentre
However, if you’re self-employed and moved to Universal Credit you must declare your earnings every month.
After 12 assessment periods
If you decide to remain on Universal Credit after 12 assessment periods and continue working, a minimum earnings threshold (MET) will apply to your earnings.
From this point, we’ll look at your earnings for the last 3 months to see if they dropped below the MET. At any point during your claim, if your earnings drop below the MET for 3 months in a row your Universal Credit claim will be closed.
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
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.
If you use British Sign Language (BSL)
Use our video relay service to make a BSL interpreted call to the Migration Notice Helpline.
If you’re on a computer, visit the video relay service.
- Select Company to contact: ‘DWP (DA Languages)’.
- Select Department: ‘Universal Credit - if you have a Migration Notice letter’.
If you’re on a mobile or tablet, use the InterpretersLive! app.
From the app:
- Select ‘Directory’, search for ‘Universal Credit’.
- Select ‘Universal Credit - I have a Migration Notice letter’.
- Select ‘Call Now’, select Company to contact: ‘DWP (DA Languages)’.
- Select Department: ‘Universal Credit - if you have a Migration Notice letter’.
- Select ‘Connect Now’.
If you need help, view a YouTube video.
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
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Updated because the deadline to get transitional protection has passed for tax credit claimants who have been invited to move to Universal Credit.
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Page updated to reflect tax credits ending on 5 April.
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Confirmed that you may be may be eligible to reclaim Housing Benefit within 3 months, if your Housing Benefit is stopped and you do not claim Universal Credit.
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Confirmed that you may only be able to reclaim Housing Benefit within 3 months of your Universal Credit stopping, or finding out you're ineligible for Universal Credit.
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Added details of the Migration Notice Helpline video relay service for British Sign Language users. Added information about appointees in the ‘How to claim Universal Credit’ section. Added 'If you live in Wales, you can also claim in Welsh.' If you live in temporary or supported housing, your Housing Benefit will continue to be paid by your local council, even if you decide not to claim Universal Credit.
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Added a link to the new page on how money, savings and investments affect Universal Credit.
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Added translation
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Added guidance on how to claim and what transitional protection you're eligible for, if you're in a couple who live apart and you both get Migration Notice letters.
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Content added to confirm that if you're state pension age and getting a disability benefit, you will not need to provide a fit note or have a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) when you move to Universal Credit.
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First published.