Stay on top of key deadlines to keep benefits flowing
Many benefit claimants are due to be moved from the old system to Universal Credit this year. When we get our ‘migration notice‘ in the mail, we have a three-month deadline. It may feel like we have all the time in the world. Our future self can sort it out. But, when the cost of missing a deadline is so high, the time to act really is now.
During the previous ‘migration’ to Universal Credit, over 30,000 households failed to claim in time. Their benefits stopped and they missed out on an average of £4,130 each.
Ayla Ozmen, from the anti-poverty charity Z2K, encouraged people that once they receive a migration notice, “it’s vital to act”.
“Either make a claim to Universal Credit, or tell the Department [of Work and Pensions (DWP)] that you need more time,” she said. “If you’re not sure how to claim, or are worried about how Universal Credit works, find a local advice agency to help you. But whatever you do, don’t ignore it.”
Upcoming dates – Migration notices and Deadlines
Our deadline depends on when our letter was sent. For example, if we are on Housing Benefit only, our migration letter may have come the first week of June, meaning we have until the first week of September to claim Universal Credit. The deadline should be read in bold at the top of our letter.
We can see below which benefits dates and deadlines apply to our current situation:
Current benefit | When you may get your letter | When your deadline may start |
Housing Benefit only | From June 2024 | From September 2024 |
Income-Related Employment Support Allowance with Child Tax credits | From July 2024 | From October 2024 |
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance | From September 2024 | From December 2024 |
In August, the DWP will also be contacting those of us claiming tax credits who are over state pension age. We will either be asked to apply for Universal Credit or Pension Credit depending on our circumstances.
The dates for Employment Support Allowance (ESA) only and Employment and Support allowance with Housing Benefit have not been officially released. The current timeline is from Autumn 2024 onwards, however, this may change in the coming months.
If we cannot claim by our deadline, we need to contact the Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline as soon as we can. We have to request an extension before our deadline passes.
Transitional protection is a top-up payment if our benefit payments are set to reduce on UC. If we miss our deadline, we can still get the top-up so long as we claim Universal Credit within a month after our deadline. This is known as the ‘final deadline.’
And as a last resort, we can make a claim after our final deadline, but we will not get any transitional protection. However, it’s best to apply before the deadline to avoid the risk of our benefits and tax credits stopping.
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