According to the Department for Work and Pensions, nearly 80% of the increase in Universal Credit claimants is people being moved from old benefits onto Universal Credit, not new claims. A department statement said, 'Nearly 80% of the increase is people being moved from old benefits onto Universal Credit. Not new claims.
' Over 775,000 of the increase in claimants had been moved from legacy benefits, which include Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, and Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance. Some benefits, like Working Tax Credits and Child Tax Credits, have already officially ended. The managed migration process has been ongoing, with people affected issued migration notices and offered an opportunity to transfer their claim to Universal Credit with Transitional Protection before their current benefits stopped.
Nearly 80% of the increase is people being moved from old benefits onto Universal Credit. Not new claims. A transition we inherited.
Transitional Protection ensures claimants won’t be left worse off on the new system, such as by adding extra money if Universal Credit eligibility is lower than previous benefits. However, if you miss the deadline in your migration notice, you will not be able to get any Transitional Protection. The Government anticipates that the final stages of the migration will be complete by the end of March, though the specific date is unknown.
For claimants with no work requirements, the Department for Work and Pensions states that at least 72% of that increase is legacy benefit claimants moving across. The exact number of new claims for Universal Credit since 2022 remains unclear.
And it's the same story for those with no work requirements - at least 72% of that increase is legacy benefit claimants moving across.