DWP urges people to 'act quickly' over Universal Credit changes or risk losing benefits

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has urged people to "act quickly" as it pushes ahead with its major Universal Credit shake up.

The Government is currently moving Tax Credit claimants over to Universal Credit with the plan to scrap the legacy benefit for good in the future. The process is known as "Managed Migration" and will be ongoing until 2028.

In a post to X - formerly Twitter - the DWP said: "Tax Credits are ending. Don't risk missing out on financial support". The benefits office also shared a video and link which gave further advice to those who are - and will be - affected by the switchover.

The further online advice read: "Look out for a letter called a Universal Credit Migration Notice from the DWP explaining what you’ll need to do, and by when. If you are claiming Tax Credits and are aged 65 or over, DWP will write to you to ask you to apply for Universal Credit or Pension Credit, depending on your circumstances.

"You won’t be moved automatically, so it’s important to act quickly and follow the instructions in the letter, otherwise your benefits will stop. To continue to receive financial support, you will need to claim Universal Credit by the deadline stated in your Migration Notice letter, even if you have just renewed your Tax Credits claim."

According to the Government website, the deadline given to claimants is three months. This means you only have three months to put in a new claim for another benefit before your Tax Credit payments are stopped.

Once the application is made for Universal Credit - or any other benefit they are entitled to - your old benefits will be stopped and you'll have to wait five weeks for your first Universal Credit payment to arrive. If you claim Tax Credits your entitlement will end as soon as you claim Universal Credit.

The DWP says all Tax Credit households across the UK will have been contacted about moving to Universal Credit by the end of next year, and the majority of those claiming legacy benefits are expected to have transitioned over by then too. However, those who claim income-related ESA and do not get Tax Credits have a slightly longer deadline and will be transferred across by 2028.

You can make your claim for Universal Credit online, but you can also use the Migration Notice helpline on 0800 169 0328 if necessary - you can also ask your local Job Centre for help with your claim.