Benefits and Work has published a 50 page guide for members to “Successful ESA to UC Managed Migration”, before the DWP moves from “test and learn” to the full scale transfer of 800,000 employment  and support allowance (ESA) claimants to universal credit (UC).

The 50 page guide takes you through the whole migration process, warning of potential pitfalls and ensuring that you are better informed than many of the DWP staff you may have to deal with along the way.

Amongst other things we explain how to

  • prepare for migration even before receiving your notice arrives
  • do a trial run through of the complete form
  • ask for an extension of the deadline if you need one
  • decide the best time to make your claim after you get your notice
  • understand what the options are for proving your identity
  • challenge an unfair or unlawful claimant commitment, including using the cooling-off period to buy time
  • understand how your UC award is calculated
  • request reasonable adjustments, such as not having to travel to a jobcentre
  • use complaints to get fair treatment
  • avoid sanctions

We know that the DWP is expecting to save billions of pounds as a result of this migration process, much of that from the claimants who fail to transfer successfully. 

Our guide to “Successful ESA to UC Managed Migration” will give you the knowledge to ensure that your move to UC goes as smoothly as possible. 

Members can download the guide from the ESA/UC Guides page, readers can also contact the free Citizens Advice Help To Claim service here.

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

Full list of contents

Who this guide is for

Stages of a UC claim

What you can do before you get the migration notice

Maximise your existing benefits

Think about the timing of your UC claim

Think about how you will budget for the gap in payments at the start of your claim

Get help with any overpayments of benefits or tax credits

Check all the documents and evidence you will need

Work through the complete UC claim form before you migrate

Make sure you know how to get help

Getting your migration notice

When will you get your migration notice?

Could your notice get lost in the post?

Can you appeal against getting a migration notice?

Asking for a migration notice to be cancelled

If you are an appointee

If you get contributory and income-related ESA

Migration deadlines and extensions

Checking your deadline day

Your final deadline day

Asking for an extension

How to get help with your claim

Starting your claim

Deciding when to start your claim

Some things you might want to consider in relation to the date of your claim

How to start your claim

How to set up your UC online account

Your partner needs an online account

Verifying your ID

If you don’t have photo ID

Being required to attend a Jobcentre

Important deadlines once you have begun your claim

Information you will need to have ready to make a claim

Will you have to explain how your health conditions affect you on the form?

Will you have to provide fit notes or have a work capability assessment (WCA)?

Avoiding common reasons for a claim being delayed or failing

Completing the claim form

If you already get other benefits

Create an account

Apply for universal credit

Your living situation

The To Do List

Preparing for your first Job Centre appointment

Agreeing your claimant commitment

What is a claimant commitment?

The four claimant commitment groups

Is anyone exempt from having a claimant commitment?

Can you delay accepting your claimant commitment?

Do you have to attend in person to sign your claimant commitment?

If you must have work-related requirements, how do you make sure they are fair?

The amount of your UC award

How UC is calculated

Step 1: Find out your maximum UC entitlement.

Step 2: Calculate your income.

Step 3: Take your income away from your maximum UC entitlement.

Step 4: Check the relevant Benefit Cap figure

Will you be better off on UC?

Calculating the transitional element

How the transitional element reduces over time

When you will find out how much UC you will receive

What to do if you think your award is wrong

Mandatory reconsideration

If you were doing permitted work under ESA

Getting paid

Managed migration and other benefits

When will your existing benefits stop?

Will housing benefit still be paid?

Will you continue to receive help with Council Tax?

When will your first UC payment be made?

Alternative Payment Arrangements

Run-ons and advance payments

Once you are receiving UC

The main differences between ESA and UC

Check your journal regularly

Should you screenshot your journal?

Will you have a work coach?

Requesting reasonable adjustments

Avoiding and challenging sanctions

Making a formal complaint

Involve your MP

First stage of a complaint

Second stage of a complaint

Complaining to the Independence Case Examiner

Getting help with migration

Troubleshooting

You can’t make your claim online

You have been refused an extension of your deadline

You’re in the support group, but you’ve been asked to provide a fit note and/or to accept a claimant commitment with work-related activities.

The DWP say you will have to wait three months for LCWRA

You’re being pressured to sign an unreasonable claimant commitment

You and your partner are both disabled. Can you both have the LCWRA element of UC?

You receive the severe disability premium on irESA and have been asked to move to UC

Your contributory ESA is being deducted, but the LCWRA element has not been included

You receive contributory ESA and other legacy benefits, but no income-related ESA

You previously received Incapacity Benefit and then moved to contributory ESA with a top up of income-related ESA

You made a claim for PIP before migration day and haven’t yet had a decision. Or you are challenging a PIP decision that you received before migration day and haven’t had an outcome yet.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 hours ago
    My daughter migrated this time last year to UC it seemed to go smoothly but I had to attend her meetings and at the Job centre they could see her distress but insisted that she see a jobs coach The next morning they sent a message to say this was unnecessary. I am still not 100% sure she is getting the right amount but it causes such distress that i have had to leave it Her PIP is still under review It took them 12 months to review her partner and they increased his ! This caused issues as it’s almost unheard of and I had to make him check he was eligible and they had not made a mistake! The whole thing is not fit for purpose The amount of distress any interaction with the system causes sleepless nights and horrendous anxiety No way to treat the most vulnerable in our society ! 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 20 hours ago
    I have to apply for universal credit on the planned migration invite. I'm in the legacy contributions based esa and am in the support group. I have a small nhs pension. I get high pip on both components. My partner doesnt get any benefits except high rate pip both care and mobility. (He was on income related benefits when we got together  several  years ago and his contribution based was lost apparently. ) We currently get full housing  benefit except the bedroom tax and full council tax benefit. Neither of us claim carers allowance and no one does for us either. We do have to care for each other full time.  We have no savings, property or any other income. Currently all our incomings are used up for buying help and equipment and heating costs. We didn't get any fuel help except the pip one. I've completed a uc financial assessment  checker and it shows that the WHOLE amount of my nhs pension is taken off any uc. Is this correct?  🤔 Many thanks for reading and I'm grateful for any advice.  (We have multiple serious lifelong diagnosed and medicated/under management, medical conditions between us, and I just wish that I was able to walk away from benefits and get back into work, but that is an alternate reality.)
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 23 hours ago
    I need to claim UC by 28th November. I haven’t got a clue,the citizens advice can’t see me as there fully booked and I don’t know anyone who’s been through it to ask for help. I’m in the support group and have been for many years,I’m just dreading having to fill the form in. Any help would be very much appreciated 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 15 hours ago
      @Fedupfemale If you are able to attend your local job centre go and use their computers the online application is straightforward and takes about half an hour
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 22 hours ago
      @Fedupfemale Appalling. Their is a company called fight back they can do this but they charge. Try googling the law society or any other charity scope maybe able to help you. Good luck x
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 8 days ago
    The DWP say you will have to wait three months for LCWRA (that loads of rubbish) not true!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 9 days ago
    My wife is my career and gets a career payment as she’s looking after me.
    My question is when I answer questions on Universal Credit, when asks am I care for some. How I should to reply them, on my to do list or on my wife’s to do list.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 1 days ago
      @amal You apply as a couple. You both register an individual account. You will receive a code which you need to give to your wife which she then inputs into her account to link both your accounts together. Then you proceed with your claim for UC when you decide the time is right for you to do so before your deadline date.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 9 days ago
    Unfortunately I can't afford to subscribe so I'm unable to look at the guide. I really hope it helps though. I think it's going to be tough going for a lot of us
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 9 days ago
      @Helen Citizens Advice website is free to use. However, whilst not as in-depth or as informative, it will certainly give you some useful help and advice with regards to the process.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 9 days ago
    This looks really helpful. Alas, too late for me. I got my letter in September - I must have been one of the first - and have already migrated.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 10 days ago
    Thank you so much for your hard work producing this guide! It's very reassuring knowing what to expect and seeing the form in advance. I'll start going through the guide bit by bit to make sure there are no nasty surprises when it comes to the real thing. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 10 days ago
    This is so appreciated. I am so scared about getting my migration notice letter but this guide has helped calm me a little. Thank you 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 10 days ago
    Yes thank you too for all the information no doubt theirs more on the way with labours reforms in 2025 been preparing myself this weekend for when the letter arrives enjoy Xmas first though 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 10 days ago
    Thank-you for your hard work supporting the vulnerable.
    Much needed at the moment.

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