DWP warning as 318,000 households could have benefits cut by not doing one thing

Hundreds of thousands failed to respond to migration notices successful a three-month model resulting successful their benefits being stopped

A informing has been issued that 318,000 households could person their benefits cut aft they failed to determination connected to Universal Credit.

Figures from Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) amusement from July 2022 to June 2024, hundreds of thousands failed to respond to migration notices successful a three-month window. This means much than 318,000 households had their payments stopped due to the fact that they did not determination over.

Ayla Ozmen, manager of argumentation and campaigns astatine Z2K said: "We're acrophobic to spot that much radical person had captious benefit payments stopped arsenic portion of the government's program to determination radical connected to Universal Credit."

DWP has accelerated the modulation of each claimants from older benefits which volition beryllium completed successful March 2026. A £15million summation successful enactment was introduced by the Universal Credit programme. It volition assistance Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland proceed supporting a determination from bequest benefits.

Dame Clare Moriarty, main enforcement of Citizens Advice, said: "Over the past 5 years our specially trained advisers person supported thousands of radical crossed Britain to navigate the determination from aged benefits to Universal Credit. We marque our work arsenic accessible arsenic possible, offering phone, chat and British Sign Language options, truthful we're determination for radical arsenic they determination over."

More than a cardinal radical person made Universal Credit claims since 2019. Claimants person a DWP migration announcement and person 3 months to assertion Universal Credit earlier their existent benefits end. Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Income Support, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, and Housing Benefit are being replaced by UNiversal Credit

Almost 1.4 cardinal migration notices person been sent retired to claimants since July 2022. An estimated 883,944 radical person already claimed Universal Credit and 166,594 are inactive changing over. The DWP reckons 55 per cent of claimants volition beryllium betteroff and 35 per cent volition suffer money. Other claimants volition not spot immoderate change.

Keir Starmer's authorities wants to summation the velocity of migration notices and 63,000 notices volition beryllium issued each period from February adjacent year. Sir Stephen Timms MP, Minister for Social Security and Disability said: "I privation to promote anyone receiving a migration announcement implicit the coming months to enactment without hold to unafraid speedy entree to payment entitlement."

Final notices volition beryllium be sent successful aboriginal December 2025 earlier the programme closes successful March 2026. It chiefly affects income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) The DWP hopes to formally adjacent the Move to Universal Credit programme by the adjacent of March 2025. Citizens Advice's Help is disposable from trained advisers to enactment caller Universal Credit claims.

Those reasoning of switching to Universal Credit earlier a migration announcement is received should probe their options arsenic they cannot instrumentality to bequest benefits erstwhile moved. But those moved by the authoritative "managed migration" process volition a modulation of payments each period if they are expected to beryllium financially worse off.