Those of us on legacy benefits will be due to move to Universal Credit by the end of 2024

If we’re on legacy benefits and expecting to move to Universal Credit there has been some news on when we might hear more.

The government is moving people from older-style benefits on to Universal Credit this year and next. 

We won’t be moved automatically – instead they’re sending out letters called Migration Notices. These come to our home address and tell us what we have to do.

It depends on where in the country we live. This month, people in south-west Scotland will start to receive their migration notices.

From December people in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire will start to receive their letters.

This government says this group of claimants will also include couples on Tax Credits, which are due to end soon. (If we’re on Tax Credits, we may have had a leaflet about this).

There’s usually a three-month window for taking the steps outlined in the letter to move to Universal Credit.

But some people who were contacted earlier in the autumn have had 30 days added automatically. That’s because their deadline would have fallen in the Christmas period.

If we’re still waiting to be moved on to Universal Credit, we can sign up for emails from the government. These ‘Touchbase’ emails give information about which areas are next to receive migration notices.

In the meantime, we can follow the Quids in! advice to get ready for the move to Universal Credit.

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