The DWP is expecting to save £5 billion due to the high number of claimants who will fail to complete the forced migration from legacy benefits to universal credit.  Claimants over sixty are proving especially lucrative for the DWP, with almost one third disappearing during the migration process. Citizens Advice has called for the DWP to investigate the high number of abandoned claims and improve the support offered to people forced to migrate. 

The government announced last week that the compulsory migration of income-related employment and support allowance (irESA) claimants will happen three years sooner than previously intended.  This is the second change to the proposed timetable, after the move was postponed until 2028.

The DWP have now said that all migration notices will be sent by the end of December 2025.

Whilst this could change following a general election, there is a strong possibility that the DWP will already have started implementing the new timetable by the time of the next parliament and it will still go ahead. 

Following the announcement Citizens Advice (CA), who run the UC Help To Claim (HTC) service on behalf of the DWP have sounded the alarm about the process.

They point out that around 25% of people who are migrated fail to complete their claim for UC. 

The non-claim rate rises according to age.  According to CA, the failure rate is:

  • 20% for people in their thirties
  • 22% for people in their forties
  • 27% for people in their fifties
  • 32% for people in their sixties or over

This is a much higher rate than expected and has led the DWP to alter its financial forecasts to show savings of £5 billion between 2024 and 2029 as a result of people missing out on benefits they are entitled to.  Because the migration dates have now been brought forward, this saving is likely to be made even more quickly.

CA point out that the DWP do not currently understand why the non-claim rate is so high, but CA  believe that many claimants “have higher levels of practical and emotional support needs — but the managed migration process isn’t meeting these needs”.

One of the major problems for older claimants especially, may be a lack of access to online services.

CA believes irESA claimants are a “potentially highly vulnerable group” and that it is essential that better safeguards are in place and that the government develops a full understanding of why some people fail to claim UC.

In particular, CA say that “independent advice on a face-to-face basis should be made available to all claimants: HTC is currently only funded to provide advice by phone and online.” 

But with such vast amounts of money to be saved, the DWP is unlikely to show any enthusiasm for finding out why claims are abandoned or to be keen on giving additional support to vulnerable claimants.

We know some readers will prefer to wait until they get a migration notice before worrying about the transfer process.

But we also know that others want to start learning more and making preparations as soon as they can, as a way of dealing with anxiety over the move.

Members can download our 28 page document “ESA to UC - A guide to migration” which explains the process for migrating to UC and what you can do now to prepare for managed migration.

You can read CA’s blog post “Our 5 concerns about migrating people to Universal Credit” here.

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      The dogmother. · 5 months ago
      @Lola68 Nothing mentioned yet per say Lola68 it's all assumptions as of yet. We will get a leaflet telling us change is coming then a letter to 'invite' us to move to UC and we'd then have three months to do it.
      Unless things change. With luck it will not happen any time soon.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Lola68 · 5 months ago
      @The dogmother. will they write to us ans tell us when we have to change, i had my esa (IR) work assessment 2 weeks ago ,and theyve kept me in support group fr another 18 months, they didn't mention me applying for UC in the paperwork. Thanks
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      The dogmother. · 5 months ago
      @Rainbow @Rainbow it's on my mind 24-7 I've no peace at all because of it,if we aren't fighting our way through pip, esa, uc ,we are faced with change after change ,proposal after proposal. I think it's a deliberate act to up end any normality we might have.
      To frighten and intimidate us, probably knowing most of it won't see the light of day. It still has the desired effect.
      I can't believe I got three months feeling a bit better in my mind after my WCA to have to try to cope with this. I do not know what else they can come up with to squeeze the life from us.
       
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      Rainbow · 5 months ago
      @The dogmother. Voluntary or not how dare they keep trying to ram this horse manure through before consultations are finished.

      This crazy untrue obsession with "work helps people stay healthy" is a delusional lie for many conditions.

      I hope labour are going to get a grip and are taking note of all yhe strong backlash recently to most of these ideas and forget most of it.

      I can't speak for others but my pewce of mind is more important than money and no matter how hard it may be I won't be bothering with the move to UC when asked. I'd rather my already poor health wasn't added to and I keep my peace.
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    Skev · 5 months ago
    They migrated me in January from working tax credits im about to go bankrupt
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Mehetabel · 5 months ago
      @Skev Im just migrating now from WTC to UC, and quite scared about it all.  What have they done to harm you?  If theyd just left it one more year I would have been safely getting my pension :( 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      The dogmother. · 5 months ago
      @Skev Bless you. How the heck they can keep getting away with putting people into destitution is beyond me. I've no adequate words. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    The dogmother. · 5 months ago
    They know what they are doing bringing the uc migration forward and the impact it will have.
    If I could afford to ignore the migration I'd be doing it.
    I'd rather run twenty miles barefoot than face what's  coming.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      The Dog Mother · 5 months ago
      @M shirker I can't believe,or maybe I can, they brought it forward by three year's. 
      They really don't know what to be at for sheer badness.
      But they've put me in a bit of a tailspin.

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      M shirker · 5 months ago
      @The dogmother. @The dogmother No wonder nobody wants to migrate onto the evil rotten system I feel the same too would rather run away from it if I could but will see how things go in the beginning before I do anything silly?
      It probably will go ahead and even If labour get in November it would only be a short delay anyway so its definitely coming good luck with it all I’m enjoying the last 12 months of peace and quiet down here in Blackpool south least no tories where I live 
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    lesley · 5 months ago
    Am a bit confused.  An 76 on housing benefit and pension credit guaranteed.  I understand that as housing benefit is phased out that it will be replaced with a "housing credit".  Was originally going to start in 2024 or 2025.
    Then I read that it had been put back to 2028 "at the earlies".  Has this changed now too?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      M shirker · 5 months ago
      @Bob @Bob I hope so too but labour still going to want people in soon as possible their would be a budget in march so I would say 2026 a small delay but like you just said who knows im worried and stressed to 
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      Bob · 5 months ago
      @Sara If labour get in after general election they might decide to change date again. Who knows. It's very stressful for people having to apply online and like myself I don't have internet at home so will need help from an organisation. And at moment Citizens Advice near me are bogged down by people needed help with applying for UC so you can't even get an appointment. Let's hope the dates will change again. But no wonder people get stressed 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      lesley · 5 months ago
      @SHELLY Thanks Shelly
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      SHELLY · 5 months ago
      @lesley Pensioners are not being migrated to Universal Credit but will be staying on Housing Benefit for the foreseeable future these changes do not affect Pensioners just working age people
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      lesley · 5 months ago
      @Sara Thanks Sara.  There is always something.  We get pushed and shoved about as though we are a load of rubbish and do not count for anything.  Widowed twice and brought up two kids almost single handed because my second husband was ill and relied on a wheelchair to mobilise.  Was one of the many 'unpaid' carers.  Saved the government a fortune. I live alone. Then when my daughter was 23 she killed herself.  Like when is enough enough?  I think all any of us have left is get out there and march to Wesminster. Not seen any call to arms yet though!  I shall hobble along on my sticks. Not dead yet!!!

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