The way you claim your benefits is changing. Legacy benefits are coming to an end and are being replaced by Universal Credit. This is known as Managed Migration, or Move to UC, and is a process managed by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).
Legacy benefits are:
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Housing Benefit(under pension age)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
- Income Support
The switch to Universal Credit is not an automatic process. It’s important for anyone receiving these benefits to make a claim for UC, otherwise your payments will stop. It’s also important to make a claim when you receive your migration notice as you’ll keep your transitional protection.
What’s happening?
The following benefits will be replaced by UC this year:
- April: Income Support, Tax Credit with Housing Benefit (under pension age)
- June: Housing Benefit
- July: ESA – Income Based with Child Tax Credit
- September: JSA – Income Based
You’ll receive a migration notice letter from the DWP explaining that one, or more, of your benefits are ending.
What do I need to do?
You don’t need to do anything until you get a letter from the DWP letting you know that you need to make a claim for UC.
When you get this letter, there will be instructions on how to make a claim for UC. The deadline for making this claim will be explained on the letter.
Remember – you won’t be moved automatically, so it’s important that you apply for UC when you receive this letter.
If you’re late for applying for UC, you could be left with no financial support for five to six weeks whilst your UC claim is processed.
Can I switch to Universal Credit before I get my migration notice?
It’s important to wait until you receive your migration notice letter to apply for Universal Credit. If you switch to Universal Credit before receiving your migration notice, you’ll lose transitional protection.
Transitional protection will top up your Universal Credit claim, matching your previous benefit income to make sure you’re not financially worse off moving from legacy benefits to Universal Credit.
What if I have outstanding over payments?
If you’re worried about the impact on your UC by repaying over payments, contact HMRC before making your claim. You might be able to arrange a more affordable repayment plan with them.
What help is available?
If you have any questions or concerns, there’s lot of support available to help you:
- You can call the Universal Credit Migration Notice helpline for free on 0800 169 0328
- You can visit your local Job Centre at 2 – 6 Charles Street NP20 1JR
- You can get free and independent support from Citizens Advice. You can visit your local Citizens Advice centre, call the Help to Claim service on 0800 144 8444, or visit the Citizens Advice website.
- You can also get help from the Advice Local website.
What can I do to prepare?
You can visit the Move to Universal Credit website to find out more about Universal Credit, when you need to apply, and access independent support and advice.
Visit our money advice page to find out more about budgeting, UC, and other financial help.
You can use the government’s benefits calculator to check how much UC you’re entitled to, based on your circumstances.
You can find out more about how the HMRC may recover any outstanding debts you have by taking money directly from your UC payment.
Remember to check your savings. If you are claiming Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits and have over £16,000 in savings, you can still make a claim for UC one year after switching over.
We are here to help you. If you have any questions or need advice, please get in touch with us by telephone on 01633 381 111 or email customer.accounts@newportcityhomes.com.