The DWP has announced that it is ramping up the managed migration of employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants to universal credit (UC) over the next few months. The department aims to send out  63,000 migration notices every month from February 2025 until early December.

The targets were made public by DWP minister Stephen Timms, who said that since 2022 the DWP had notified 943,343 households that they must move to UC.

According to Timms there have been just 10 complaints about the process, with only 10 of those upheld.

Timms also revealed that the Citizens Advice Help To Claim service, will receive “up to a further £15m” to provide free and confidential advice to ESA claimants subject to the move.

The DWP are clearly confident that they can carry out the migration process to schedule.  But the numbers involved will be very much greater than the department has dealt with before, up from an average of 36,000 a month to 63,000.

In addition, a significant proportion of ESA cases are likely to be more complex than those the DWP have dealt with so far.  Many of the claimants may be more vulnerable because of their health conditions, less accustomed to dealing with the DWP because they have been ignored for years and some may also be unable to manage the default online claims process.

Moreover, it is clear that so far the DWP failed to sort out the basics of dealing with ESA claimants, such as ensuring that they are not required to provide fit notes and that work coaches understand that claimants in the support group must not be expected to agree to work-related commitments.

Readers can contact the free Help To Claim service here and members can download our 50 page guide to “Successful ESA to UC Managed Migration”, from the ESA/UC Guides page.

If you have begun or completed your mandatory migration, please share your experience with other readers here.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 2 hours ago
    After some advice.When my last job ended i claimed JSA.
    I then went through a difficult period and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

    Was advised to claim Incapacity Benefit,which i did.(Contribution based IB).

    Was on CB IB for a few years before being moved to ESA(employment support allowance).

    I was placed in Support Group and was on Contribution based ESA.

    Some time later it was found that when claimants were being moved from Incapacity Benefit to ESA some may have been entitled to income related ESA but instead only awarded contribution-based ESA,and therefore missed out on premium payments,like enhanced disability premium(EDP).

    I was one of the claimants who missed out on these premium payments so DWP contacted me and after 6 weeks wait i was awarded £5000 in back payments.

    I know that claimants on ESA are being migrated to UC.

    I am still on ESA Contribution Based and still in Support Group.The only change is that i have a small income related ESA to up(enhanced disability premium) which is added to my Contribution Based ESA.

    Will i be migrated to UC considering I am in receipt of CB ESA SG with small income related top up? Thanks in advance
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 20 hours ago
    Im on ESA pip why should the disabled be pushed into UC when UC doesn't work and also very discrimating 
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      · 19 hours ago
      @Bethan @Bethan Because they don’t care at all it’s about saving money and rushing everybody in as quickly as they can well 63,000 a month is going to be interesting already got my speech and rights prepared for when it’s my turn and I’m not backing down to the “work coach” 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 21 hours ago
    Oh, for crying out loud! The SWP and co are desperate, aren't they? This is madness and many of us are going g to really go through the ringer. All due to craving as many of us through and making big mistakes, sometimes fatal.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 22 hours ago
    I'm on cb esa in support group is migration being brought forward from 2028 no other benefits 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 11 hours ago
      @Pamela smith What if you are over savings limit for Uc you get nothing ?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 20 hours ago
      @Pamela smith Migration has been brought forward by the last Tory government.Intially migration was deferred until 2028 then some not so bright spark in the last tory government with a general election looming decided to bring migration forward to 2024.This 'date' has now been honored by the dark lords of the labour party.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 22 hours ago
    Hard to believe a Labour party could be worse than the tories,but they(Labour)are rapidly approaching the contemptable detest reserved for the tories.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    I put in my pip review form early February. I then had four texts stating I might need to have a face to face assessment during this time. I got same as last pip except I had been diagnosed autistic 3 years ago and I’m now waiting on adhd assessment, ( just after my last pip review award form was granted was when I was diagnosed autistic). They text me to say I had to wait 2 weeks for a letter ( it was only4 days. Tbf). I Always send stuff first class recorded delivery. Even if they have a second class free mail. So about two weeks ago they sent me a letter saying I was granted the same pip enhanced. TBF I use my pip on taxis to early morning appointments or places I don’t know how to get too. And I have bought gadgets to make life easier for my back problem. And some of it goes to bills. Weirdly I got more points on things than I had the last time. I thought communicating might of got some points as I sometimes forget what I’m on about then go around in a circle till I remember what I was on about. So from February to a fortnight ago ( November ) was my wait time..  I was surprised I did get it as I thought they were hanging on to some until we were managed migrated to cause confusion re UC forms but they didn’t, they just granted it. They are still messing about with people phoning them for changes both esa and pip. Took me 5 phone calls as they were making me wait 20 plus mins, playing a tune then their phone would ring then hung up before I spoke. My neighbour was in my flat as a witness to this behaviour. And I had to keep repeating stuff. They do the phone bs right at the end ( they also try to trip people up re giving them our security info) I mean I typed in my birthday and they claimed it didn’t here it. Someone professional needs to see their phone call handling to vulnerable people to the end to show how they stress people up or cause autism melt downs. so that anyone testing it out wouldn’t have the time to waste waiting for them to answer and hanging up.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    What if you are a SUPORT GROUP CLAMANT How is it delth with ?  
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      · 1 days ago
      @L A Galbraith I have just migrated to UC, I did have a work coach tell me that I had to start looking for work, and she wouldn't back down even after telling her that I was in the support group of ESA. But what is meant to happen is they will see that you are in the support group and they will immediately put you in the LCWRA group. If like me they start telling you that you have to start looking for work then call the UC helpline, they messaged my job centre and told them that they have to honour my last WCA. Please remember what your rights are and don't allow the jobcentre to bully you into giving fit notes are having to meet with the regularly.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    Do people in WRAG need a fitnote?
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      · 1 days ago
      @andre @andre im still in esa wrag 2018 think regulation 19 still applies to that group also only difference as you know is will have to go in for interviews and courses but just remember no job search is required 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    I have just managed to sort out my autistic adult son's migration from ESA to UC.  The process being so difficult and the questions so badly written, even I as a Barrister, found the questions to be misleading.  Also there are pages hidden behind other pages, when dealing with reasonable adjustments that they are difficult to find.
    Next, I discovered there is also a full record, held by DWP which is not visible to the Claimant on the journal.  It will need a subject access request to attempt to see this. 
    More worrying of all, I was not an appointee for my son, as his capacity is a moveable feast, and I have always avoided taking away all his ability to make decisions for himself, however the process was so painful for him that he became none verbal. I had been a person he had given rolling permission to speak to for ESA, apparently, this consent was not transferable, even though it stated, any DWP benefits, not simply ESA.
    Bizarrely, they then decided even though James was none verbal, that they needed to call him and get permission to speak to me.........that was an interesting phone call, which you will not be surprised to hear, went badly.
    Now, I have had to become an appointee, so DWP have restricted my son's right to a private life.
    Lastly, when I tried to explain to the ESA and UC call centre, that being none verbal meant that James was unable to give verbal consent in any meaningful way, and I asked about the reasonable adjustments they are legally required to put in place, I was told, "we do have reasonable adjustments, we can send out large print benefits centre has a ramp for wheelchair access.  Brilliant, so as none of those adjustments suited my son, apparently, this is his fault!!!
    Sorry for the rant, but I felt it important to highlight the pitfalls, but I did persevere and have now managed to get his migration sorted, all be it with a fit note to provide time to beat the system.  The doctor's surgeries appear to be well aware of this unnecessary need, and provided a note on request. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 15 hours ago
      @Sheena Parry My heart goes out to you and your son. Thank you for sharing your experience and I’m so glad your son has you. But so sorry you had to go through all of this. Take care
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @Anon @Anon think it could be information Dwp hold on you? Back in 2018 they lost all my medical information so when I got to tribunal their was other stuff they included in the appeal such as: how long been claiming benefits,courses I had been on,what was said at work focused interviews and dates also,when I worked last,I’m not on it yet but will have a look when I migrate from esa
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @Sheena Parry Very informative. Can I clarify what you mean by a full record?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    I would still get a sick note from dwp incase u go to tribunal never mind Dwp 
    Look after yourself cos dwp wont!!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 1 days ago
    Is this for England first, as it was with moving HB to UC (which we in Scotland have only recently started to do)?

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 days ago
    It seems everybody is excessively worried about the migration to UC, when in reality what to be worried about is not the migration itself but rather the motivation of the DWP for expediting the migration, which is to gather all claimants into one group and push as many claimants as possible into work and finally cut their benefits off.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 23 hours ago
      @A Exactly and they belittle our stress, talking and publically shaming us as negative. CBT does not work for most autistics and adhd people yet drs/dwp still try to force it down our throats then gaslight publically leading to autism melt down. They were offering a 55 year old ( then 51) with degenerative discs to do full time shelf filling in Tescos. I also have a kneeling issue with knees I’m 5ft2. I have more disabilities than my autism too. They simply lord everything over us and publically. They play stupid games like it’s all hilarious fun. If people aren’t laughing it’s not fun it’s bullying.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 3 days ago
      @Jon  16 thousand work coaches are more than enough to hassle all the claimants, as all they do is harassing and pressuring people to look for work and get it. They don't coach or help anyone to get a job.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 4 days ago
      @A Apparently there are 16 thousand work coaches
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 4 days ago
      @Jon Yep, by connecting every claimant with a work coach, sick, disabled, or not. While when you're on ESA, you've nothing to do with a work coach. And Alan Milburn has recommended that sick and disabled people also should see work coaches on a regular basis - God forbid.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 5 days ago
      @A I think you could be right it will be much easier for the DWP to manoeuvre us into work if where all on one benefit
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 5 days ago
    Thought I would let people know. I wrote to my local MP for Nottingham and told her about the concerns being mentioned about people on ESA in the SUPPORT GROUP being asked for sick notes when applying for UC. She emailed me and said you DO NOT Need To Get fit notes for this group. So I am printing of her reply so that when I do get a migration letter and have to see someone at Job Centre I will show them this letter. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 2 hours ago
      @BOB Then she wants to have a word with her own government and the DWP, because 1000s are going though hell.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 21 hours ago
      @BOB Hi, bob could you share the letter please, email to us/me, I am in esa support group and I know they are going to try the sick note excuse. Thanks
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @BOB Thanks Bob. Could you possibly share your emsil with us. Thanks 🌸 🌼 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @BOB thnks  Bob, can you share this email with us so we can approach our own Mp.  regards, Owen
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @BOB Could you show us this letter bob then we on esa can screen shot,  to back us all up would be greatly appreciated 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 7 days ago
    Hello

    Is it just ESA claimants who are being issued with migration notices, to claim UC, or are JSA (income based) claimants being sent letters too?
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 7 days ago
    The damn migration is all about putting all claimants into a one fold, connecting them with so-called work coaches, and pushing them into work in one way or another and possibly toughening conditions/commitments.

    The Tories were better than Keir Starmer's Labour, as they were abolishing the WCA for most of ill and disabled people, and they said the migration would not take place before 2028/29, and engaging with employment was on a voluntary basis with monetary incentives.

    While Alan Millburn has recommended in his damn report to make reassessments more frequent and regular and that no one should be exempted from seeing work coaches ill, disabled, or not, which Keir Starmer has resonated, when he said that all ill people must look for work, where they can  -  and not those who can must look for work.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @A I believe just before the election the Tories pushed the ESA migration to start at the end of this year and Labour stuck with that decision when they could have stopped it and stuck with the original deadline. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 6 days ago
      @Jon At least the Tories were saying what they wanted to do loudly, while Keir Starmer's Labour is playing with uncertainty and silence, which are causing us tremendous amount of stress and tantamount of desperation.

      Glad I voted the Greens last time, albeit being a Labour voter, just for the sake of not voting for Keir Starmer's Labour, which is devoid of ideology, policies, and plans. All Labour revolves around are lies and empty rhetoric and nothing else.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 6 days ago
      @A I think with labour and the Tories it could have been a case of better the devil 😈 you know
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 6 days ago
      @Rik The damn Alan Milburn has even said that unless two million people are pushed into work, the growth parroted by Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves won't materialise. He has also recommended to reduce the financial gap between Jobseeker's allowance and sickness benefits, which indirectly means reducing the sickness benefit, as they won't increase jobseeker's allowance.

      Alan Milburn, Liz Kendall, Rachel Reeves, and Keir Starmer are a bunch of dishonest callouses.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 7 days ago
      @HRH They did, because as has been proven, they knew a good percentage wouldn't go ahead and apply/transfer to UC. However, they did say those in the Support/LCWRA group wouldn't be reassessed - they'd be left alone. Labour has not made that commitment, and with Blair's mate Alan Milburn running things, it's going to be much worse than anything the Tories were going to do.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 7 days ago
    I'm out of my mind worrying about the whole process of applying for UC from ESA support group. Apart from my health issues my mental health problems are making it twice as hard to try and stay calm. It's all getting rushed through by DWP and mistakes are being made. He whole process is needs simplifying and the three week gap when u don't get any money. What are u suppose to live on. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @axab43 Thanks so much for this reassurance, and for highlighting highlighting the emotional effect of negative posts.  Excellent.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @BOB you can ask the DWP to split your monthly payment into two payments.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @BOB UC is paid in arrears. So if you take advantage of the loan, you pay that back via deductions each month from your UC. You can have up to 2 years to repay.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 5 days ago
      @axab43 You said u can get a loan for the three weeks not getting anything but when your UC claim is accepted do DWP backdate for those three weeks. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 6 days ago
      @BOB I think you can get a loan to cover the three week's gap.  ANd I have not received a migration notice yet but I went through the channels of applying online to see what it is like.  It is not too bad actually.  YOu don't have to provide medical evidence when you are transferred over, and it seems to be quite simple (if you are not phased by filling in forms though.  There is help with Citizens' Advice for anyone who is.)  ANd when you are put on the LCWRA of UC (the equivalent of Support group ESA), the time frame can be up to two/three year so about the same as ESA.)

      So don't worry too much. Some people on here do come over "doom and gloom and negative "it's all going to be horrible."  For those of us with mental health issues, those kind of posts/comments can make worrying far worse, as mental illness is very real and should be considered when posting/commenting on here!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 7 days ago
    I agree with AW. Appointee does work or is even needed for some people. My son can manage his bills because they are all on Direct Debit and his needs aren't great. He can always ask me if he has a problem. Can he fill in a simple form let alone a DWP one, can he make a phone call to ask for something or explain his position , No? It is time the DWP faced reality especially for the disabled and realised one solution does not fit all.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 6 days ago
      @Carole Lloyd Sorry I made a mistake in my comment. What I meant to say is that appointee is not suitable or necessary for everyone. The DWP don't seem to understand. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 7 days ago
    My son who has brain damage that affects him very badly received his notification he has to claim UC today. Has to have it completed by 12th February so will be in the general mess so we are keeping our fingers crossed. He lives in the LB of Croydon London and will visit me in the Nth of England so I can complete what is necessary., No way could he manage it himself. As a member I will be glued to your site to learn all I can before we start. What a nightmare.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 8 days ago
    Thank you for your replies. I thought it was too good to be true. I am 64 in January so am desperately hoping & praying now that this cruel migration process takes them longer to implement, so as they don’t get to me before pension age. Am wishing my life away! Didn’t have this fear hanging over me before they bought this forward as by 2028 I will be on pension credit. Can only hope that it takes them as long as it did to transfer Dla to Pip. They didn’t get to me on that one until late 2019, when the target for that was everyone transferred by 2015. Deep breaths! Good luck to all at this god awful time.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 7 days ago
      @Kim I am a pensioner, will be 77 in December, am still worried about the pension credit/housing benefit merger. House benefit to be changed to ‘housing credit’. Was not going to happen until 2028 at the earliest.
      Now Angela Rayner wants to bring it forward.
      I can assure you that the worry does not automatically stop when you reach pension age! Oh no sorry to tell you!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 7 days ago
      @Kim I'm sorry but the DWP have announced they are massively ramping up the migration from February and everyone should have received their letter by the end of next year. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 8 days ago
      @Kim I am also wishing my life away for the same reason!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 8 days ago
    I'm so stressed waiting for first statement and praying it's all correct. Initial advance given isn't a quarter of my entitlement as per all my calculations. Thank god I get dla and pip or I would be in a real dark place. They didn't make it easy for me the first few weeks of migrating but thankfully my lwrca has now been actioned. They also need to stop the 5 week wait as its just really bad for people and tips people into financial harm

    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 7 days ago
      @James h Didn't realise James thanks
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 7 days ago
      @Jon @Jon You can ring up uc helpline and get paid twice a month can be done because I told 2 of my friends to do it and it was done with no issue and I will be doing the same when it’s my turn 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 8 days ago
      @Adama I don't like this monthly payday it's difficult too budget

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