Moving to Universal Credit from other benefits

This guide will help you understand how the move to Universal Credit works and ways to make the most of your money.   

To talk to someone about your own situation, including help claiming, try these free organisations:  

• Citizens Advice Help to Claim for help with Universal Credit questions and claims, until you receive your first Universal Credit payment. 

• Advicelocal, for help and support with benefits,Opens in a new window including confidential advice on whether you should claim Universal Credit.  

If you currently receive one of these six ‘legacy’ benefits, you’ll be told at some point to claim Universal Credit instead:

• Housing Benefit

• Child Tax Credit

• Working Tax Credit 

• Income Support

• Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

Universal Credit is a single payment designed to support you with the costs of everyday living, including housing and bringing up children. You can claim it whether or not you’re working.

Our Benefits calculator is a quick and easy way to check what you could get. 

Here’s how Universal Credit might be different to your current benefits:

• you can work as many hours as you like

• you’ll usually need to commit to finding work if you’re able to

• your payment might change each time as it’s based on your household income and the savings and investments you had in the previous month

• you won’t get anything if you have savings or investments worth over £16,000

• you’ll need to wait five weeks for your first payment  

• you’re usually paid once or twice a month depending on where you live in the UK (couples get a single payment) 

• you’re usually responsible for paying your own rent in England, Scotland and Wales 

• you can claim back up to 85% of your childcare costs

• your payment might be reduced by up to 25% to repay debts like overpaid benefits or tax credits.

For more information, see our guide Universal Credit explained. 

If you have any questions or concerns about how it will affect you, speak to a Citizens Advice Help to Claim or Advice NI adviser for confidential and impartial help and advice.

As many legacy benefits are paid weekly or every two weeks, you’ll probably need to make changes to how you manage your money. This includes changing the payment dates for your bills, rent or mortgage to the day after you’re paid. 

For full help and information, see our guide Help managing your money if you receive benefits.

You’ll continue to get your existing benefits until you’re told to claim Universal Credit instead. This will either happen:

• when you receive a letter called a Migration Notice from the DWP, or

• if a change in your circumstances means you’re no longer eligible for your current benefits, like a new job, baby or being diagnosed with a long-term health condition.

In both cases, you won’t be moved to Universal Credit automatically. You’ll need to apply for Universal Credit before a deadline, which is usually when your existing benefits will stop.  

You can also choose to apply for Universal Credit before you receive your letter. But you might miss out on extra money if you do, as you won’t get transitional protection To understand what’s best for you, get free specialist advice before applying. 

When it’s time for you to move to Universal Credit, the DWP will send you a special letter called a ‘Migration Notice’ as part of its ‘Move to UC’ programme. This tells you the deadline to claim Universal Credit by and when your legacy benefits will stop, so act quickly. 

Here’s what to do when you get your letter.

Use our quick and easy Benefits calculator to find out how much Universal Credit you could get, as it’s based on your personal circumstances and other earnings.

For more information on how Universal Credit is calculated, see our guide How much is Universal Credit?

You only have three months from the date of your letter to successfully claim Universal Credit.

If you miss the deadline:

• your legacy benefits will still stop automatically, and 

• you won’t get ‘transitional protection’ – extra money to top up your Universal Credit payment if it pays less than your current benefits.  

Transitional protection payments mean you won’t be worse off on the day your Universal Credit claim starts.  

If the amount you’re entitled to is less on Universal Credit than your old benefits, your payment will be topped up for a certain length of time under transitional protection to make sure you don't lose out.   

This will happen automatically if you: 

• apply by the deadline in your Migration Notice, and  

• don’t have any changes in your circumstances. 

 Transitional protection will usually last until either:  

• your Universal Credit payment is the same or more as your legacy benefits (for example, if you later qualify for an extra payment by having a baby) 

• your partner moves in or out of your home  

• your income drops for three months in a row, or 

• you no longer qualify for Universal Credit. 

For more information, see GOV.UK – Transitional protection if you receive a Migration Notice letterOpens in a new window

Your Migration Notice will tell you how to apply, but you’ll usually need to apply for Universal Credit online at GOV.UKOpens in a new window If you live with your partner, you’ll both need to apply separately. 

If you can’t apply online, call the Universal Credit HelplineOpens in a new window or Universal Credit Service CentreOpens in a new window in Northern Ireland. They can arrange for someone to call you back or visit your home. 

For more help and information, see our guides:

• How to apply for Universal Credit

• How to apply for Universal Credit in Scotland

• How to apply for Universal Credit in Northern Ireland

• Joint Universal Credit claims for couples.

If you’ll have trouble applying in time, or for free help and advice with your application, you should: 

• speak to a Citizens Advice Help to Claim or Advice NI adviser for confidential and impartial help and advice

• call the Universal Credit Migration Notice helplineOpens in a new window

• visit your local JobCentre PlusOpens in a new window or Jobs and Benefits office in Northern IrelandOpens in a new window for face-to-face support making a claim. 

You can also give your permission for someone you trust to deal with your claim on your behalf, known as a representative. If the person claiming Universal Credit is unable to manage their own money, you can apply to be a legal appointee. 

For more information, call the Universal Credit HelplineOpens in a new window Universal Credit Service Centre in Northern IrelandOpens in a new window or GOV.UK – Universal Credit consentOpens in a new window

After you’ve applied, you’ll usually need to wait five weeks to get your first payment. You’ll keep getting your current benefits for two weeks after you’ve applied but tax credits will stop immediately.

For what to do next, see Help while you wait for your first Universal Credit payment

If you claim legacy benefits and something in your life changes, like changing jobs or having a baby, you might be asked to apply for Universal Credit instead.

Here’s what to do:

If anything in your life changes, you must report it to the office that pays your benefit. For example, if you:  

• move home  

• get married or divorced  

• have a baby  

• are diagnosed with a health condition or disability  

• have a change to your finances, like a salary increase or receiving any extra money.  

You can find a list of changes you need to report and contact details at GOV.UKOpens in a new window  

If in doubt, it’s best to report it anyway. If you don’t, you might miss out on extra money you’re entitled to. Or you could be paid too much and may need to repay the overpaid benefits plus a £50 fine. 

You’ll usually get a letter or message in your online account about any changes to your benefits as a result of your change in circumstances.

If you have a choice between staying on your current benefits and moving to Universal Credit, speak to a free Citizens Advice Help to Claim or Advice NI adviser for confidential and impartial advice about your situation.

Universal Credit could give you more or less money than you currently get from your legacy benefits, as you’ll be assessed under different rules.

To see if you’ll be better or worse off switching to Universal Credit, you can use:

• our Benefits calculator

• Policy in Practice’s Better Off CalculatorOpens in a new window 

If you expect your income to drop on Universal Credit, you might want to delay your application so you get your old benefits for longer. A free Citizens Advice Help to Claim or Advice NI adviser can explain your options.

There are also other things you can do, like creating or redoing a budget, applying for grants and getting discounts on your bills. For more information, see our guide Help managing your money if you receive benefits.

Create an account and apply for Universal Credit online at GOV.UKOpens in a new window If you live with your partner, you’ll both need to apply separately. 

If you can’t apply online, call the Universal Credit HelplineOpens in a new window or Universal Credit Service Centre in Northern IrelandOpens in a new window. They can arrange for someone to call you back or visit your home.  

For more help and information, see our guides:

• How to apply for Universal Credit

• How to apply for Universal Credit in Scotland

• How to apply for Universal Credit in Northern Ireland

• Joint Universal Credit claims for couples.

For free help and advice with your application, speak to a Citizens Advice Help to Claim or Advice NI adviser for confidential and impartial help and advice.

You can also give your permission for someone you trust to deal with your claim on your behalf, known as a representative. If the person claiming Universal Credit is unable to manage their own money, you can apply to be a legal appointee. 

For more information, call the Universal Credit HelplineOpens in a new window,  Universal Credit Service Centre in Northern IrelandOpens in a new window or GOV.UK – Universal Credit consentOpens in a new window
 

After you’ve reported a change in circumstances , you’ll usually need to wait five weeks for your first to Universal Credit payment. You’ll keep getting your current benefits for two weeks after you’ve applied but tax credits will stop immediately. 
 

After you apply for Universal Credit, there’s usually a five-week wait until you get your first payment. 

There are things you can do while you wait, including:

• applying for advance payments if you’ll struggle

• checking if you qualify for other payments or grants

• creating or amending a budget.

For more information, see our guide Help managing your money while waiting for your first Universal Credit payment.

After you’ve had your first Universal Credit payment, make sure you:

• change any payment dates for bills or rent to the day after you’re paid

• check if you now qualify for discounts or special deals

• report if anything in your life changes

• consider opening a Help to Save account for a free bonus worth up to £1,200

• plan ahead for expensive months of the year, like birthdays and Christmas.   

For more details, see our guide Help managing your money if you receive benefits.  

If you need help applying, you can speak to a free Universal Credit adviser  for support completing the application form.