Cambridgeshire Neighbourhood Watch Association
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Universal Credit Replacing Six Benefits

Universal Credit is replacing six benefits known as ‘legacy benefits’ in the UK. These are:

  • Housing Benefit
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Child Tax Credits (CTC)
  • Working Tax Credits (WTC)
  • Income Support

Most people who receive these legacy benefits will need to move onto Universal Credit. This can happen in a few ways:

  1. Migration Notice: You receive a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) instructing you to claim Universal Credit by a certain date.
  2. Change in Circumstances: Certain changes in your situation, such as separating from a partner or moving to a different council area, may require you to switch to Universal Credit.
  3. Voluntary Claim: You can choose to claim Universal Credit if you believe you will be better off.

If you receive a Migration Notice, you should claim Universal Credit by the deadline specified in the letter. If you claim before the deadline, the DWP might provide extra payments to ensure you are not worse off, known as ‘transitional protection’.

It’s important to check if you’ll be better off on Universal Credit before making the switch, as once you claim, you cannot revert to your old benefits.

For more detailed information, you can visit the Citizens Advice website or the GOV.UK guidance page.