Move to Universal Credit if you get a Migration Notice letter

Only read this guidance if you get a Migration Notice 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’re:

• State Pension age, or in a couple who are both State Pension age

• in a couple where only one of you is State Pension age

Benefits that have ended or are ending

Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit (known as ‘tax credits’) have ended.

The following benefits are also ending soon:

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Income Support

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• Housing Benefit, unless you’re in supported or temporary accommodation

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 your deadline date.  

If you cannot claim by your deadline date, contact the Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline.

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.

Someone helping with your claim 

To find out how a representative or appointee acting on your behalf can help you, visit Get help with your Universal Credit claim.

If you have an appointee who is responsible for making and maintaining your benefit claims, your Migration Notice letter will be sent directly to them. They will need to make the Universal Credit claim for you.

Moving from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

If you’ve been receiving 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.

Find out more about health conditions, disability and Universal Credit.

Eligibility

You can claim Universal Credit even if you are working to help with living costs.

As you’ve received a Migration Notice letter some of the normal eligibility rules for claiming are different. This is part of ‘transitional protection’.

To get transitional protection you must claim by your deadline date.

You will not get transitional protection if you claim before you get a Migration Notice letter.

If you get Housing Benefit and are 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 decide not to claim Universal Credit, you’ll continue to get Housing Benefit. However, your other benefits will end.

As you’re getting Housing Benefit, you cannot 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.

Find out more about Housing Benefit eligibility.

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.

If you were getting 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.

What you’ll get

On Universal Credit, most people will be 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

Find out more about what you’ll get.

‘Transitional protection’ top up payments

If the amount you’re entitled to on your existing or previous benefits is more than you’ll get on Universal Credit, a top up is available.

You do not need to apply for transitional protection. It will be paid to you automatically if you get a Migration Notice letter and make a Universal Credit claim by your deadline date.

Benefits calculators

You can use an independent, free and anonymous benefits calculator to see how much you could get on Universal Credit.

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

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 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 could 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:

• child maintenance

• 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.

Deductions from current benefits

When your current benefit payments stop, any deductions made from them for things such as utility bills, will also stop. These deductions will not automatically transfer to your Universal Credit claim. 

If you want the same deductions taken from your Universal Credit payment, contact your supplier.

What you’ll 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.

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, but 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. If you live in Wales, you can also claim in Welsh.

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 benefits that are being replaced by Universal Credit will stop. You cannot go back to those benefits, because they are ending.

If you cannot apply online, you can claim by phone. Call the Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline.

Couples who live together

Universal Credit counts 2 people as being in a couple if they live in the same household and are:

• married to each other

• civil partners of each other

• living together as if you’re married

If you live with your partner  you must make a joint claim, 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 code to give to their partner. They will need to use this code 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 but you live apart and you both get Migration Notices, you’ll each need to make separate single claims.

You can still claim if you are a full-time student.

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

Proving your identity online is a secure way to confirm your identity. You must prove your identity before you can complete the rest of your Universal Credit claim.

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

1. Set up an online Universal Credit account.

2. Complete and submit online claim.

3. Prove your identity.

4. Provide documents and evidence to support your claim.

5. 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.

Start now

If you need help to make your claim you can get free support from the Citizens Advice Help to Claim service:

• Get Help to Claim if you live in England or Wales
• Get Help to Claim if you live in Scotland

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.

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.

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.

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. 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

• if you’re self-employed, you must report your earnings every month

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 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.

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.

1. Select Company to contact: ‘DWP (DA Languages)’.
2. 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:

1. Select ‘Directory’, search for ‘Universal Credit’.
2. Select ‘Universal Credit - I have a Migration Notice letter’.
3. Select ‘Call Now’, select Company to contact: ‘DWP (DA Languages)’.
4. Select Department: ‘Universal Credit - if you have a Migration Notice letter’.
5. 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.