HomeUpdatesFinanceHere is a complete list of people who won’t be switched to Universal Credit: DWP

Here is a complete list of people who won’t be switched to Universal Credit: DWP

Here is a complete list of people who won’t be switched to Universal Credit: DWP

In keeping with the continuous transition away from previous “legacy” benefits, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has made public the names of those who will not be transferred to Universal Credit.

Known as managed migration, the DWP is currently working to move all claimants onto Universal Credit by 2025. This year, the process has been accelerated. There are a few outliers to this shift, though. Some beneficiaries will choose to convert to Pension Credit or stay on their present legacy payments.

On the recently released Universal Credit transition webpage from the DWP, it is made clear that individuals who receive Housing Benefit alone, along with their partner:

  • Have reached state pension age (66 years of age or older);
  • Reside in council-provided transitional housing after experiencing homelessness;
  • Reside in supported housing, such as refuges, hostels, extra-care housing, and certain sheltered housing

Housing Benefit will continue to assist these groups with their housing expenses. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) also noted that you will not be asked to convert to Universal Credit if you are solely receiving ‘new style’ benefits such as New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) or New Style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). You’ll continue to receive your present perks instead.

Depending on your circumstances, the DWP may urge you to apply for Pension Credit or Universal Credit if you are a state pension age recipient currently receiving Tax Credits. When one partner in a mixed-age partnership is older than the state pension age, this also applies to them.

When it’s time to make the adjustment, the DWP will get in touch with you to let you know which benefit you should apply for and when you have to do it.

You will receive a Tax Credit Closure Notice if you are asked to claim Pension Credit or if you are currently claiming it, according to the official website. If you are asked to apply for Universal Credit, you can choose to apply for Pension Credit instead, as long as you are eligible.

But note that you will lose any transitional safeguards if you do this, and you will not be able to convert back to Universal Credit. The Department for Work and Pensions has issued a warning that if you switch to Universal Credit, HMRC might write to you about overpaid tax credits.

According to the current system, you have three months from the date of receipt of your migration notice to file a Universal Credit claim. If you don’t, you might no longer be eligible for benefits.

As per the ongoing strategy of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), individuals who are claiming Employment Support Allowance with Child Tax Credits will begin receiving migration letters in July, with JSA recipients receiving their notices in September. Notifications were sent in April to households claiming Housing Benefits in addition to Tax Credits; these households have until July to file their claims.