Claimants who are still receiving certain DWP payments should be aware of an approaching deadline that could strip them of their benefits unless they take action. Letters have been issued that clearly state what will happen if people ignore this major change.

The number of people receiving so-called ‘legacy benefits’ is rapidly decreasing across the country as more switch to Universal Credit. People who have been receiving DWP payouts for discontinued benefits have been told to make the change since 2022, as part of a massive overhaul of the benefits system.

All of these ‘legacy’ payments are due to end by March 31, 2026, leaving people with just over a month to prepare if they haven’t already made the transition. The DWP previously said that most legacy benefit claimants had already been contacted, with the final letters sent to people claiming Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). 

The former Conservative government planned to have the move completed by 2028. However, in April 2024, this deadline was brought forward to March 2026.

Ahead of the major deadline approaching, people have been reminded of the fact that they cannot simply ignore the change, as they are not automatically moved over. If you don’t apply by that date, your benefits will simply stop.

Why are legacy benefits ending?

Legacy benefits will be scrapped across the UK by March 2026 and replaced by Universal Credit – offering people a single, streamlined payment system. The government aims to simplify the welfare system, reduce administrative costs, and encourage more people into work by removing “perverse incentives” that previously created dependency.

The following ‘legacy benefits’ are ending, or have ended, and are being replaced by Universal Credit:

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support

If people do not apply for Universal Credit by the deadline in their migration letter, their legacy benefits will end, and they may lose that financial support. People can get an estimate of how much their Universal Credit payment will be with an online benefit calculator.

What do I need to do?

Citizens’ Advice reported that people will all have slightly different deadlines, as it depends on when claimants were issued their ‘migration notice’. The letter that people receive will clearly state the final day they have to arrange their move over to Universal Credit.

You must claim Universal Credit by the deadline on the letter to keep getting financial support. If you claim after the final deadline, you can still get Universal Credit – but you can’t get transitional protection between your old and new benefits.

The average wait for the first Universal Credit payment in the UK is five weeks. This consists of a one-month assessment period followed by up to seven days for the payment to reach your account.

A spokesperson for Citizens’ Advice said: “Contact the DWP if you think you should have been sent a migration notice. The DWP might eventually contact you, but it’s a good idea to speak to them as soon as you can. This is so you can move to Universal Credit without a gap in payments.”

For more detailed help and advice, go here for advice that is specific to England. People can find localised Citizens’ Advice pages about this for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales by clicking on the link for their respective country.