If you still receive an older benefit such as tax credits or income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), you will be moved across to Universal Credit through a process called managed migration. This reached its final stage in early 2026, so most remaining legacy benefit claimants have either moved or will shortly receive their instruction to do so. This guide explains what to expect when moving to Universal Credit, how the Migration Notice works, what transitional protection means for your payments, and how to avoid losing money in the switch.

Which benefits are being replaced?

Universal Credit replaced six legacy benefits: Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Housing Benefit for working-age renters, Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit. If you receive any of these, you will need to claim Universal Credit instead. Contribution-based or New Style ESA and JSA work differently and can continue alongside Universal Credit, though they count as income when your payment is worked out.

The Migration Notice

You cannot be moved automatically. Instead, the DWP sends you a letter called a Migration Notice telling you that your existing benefits are ending and that you must claim Universal Credit to keep getting support. The letter gives you a deadline, usually three months from the date of the notice. This is one of the most important letters you will receive, because if you do not claim by the deadline your old benefits will stop and you could lose money or go without support entirely.

If you genuinely cannot meet the deadline, you can ask the DWP for more time before it passes. Do not ignore the notice or assume the move will happen on its own, and do not let your old benefits simply lapse.

What is transitional protection?

Some people would get less on Universal Credit than they did on their old benefits. To prevent a sudden drop, managed migration comes with transitional protection: an extra amount, called the transitional element, that tops up your Universal Credit so that you are not worse off at the point you move. This protection is one of the main reasons to wait for your Migration Notice rather than claiming Universal Credit early, because it is generally only available when you move through managed migration, not when you claim voluntarily.

Transitional protection is not always permanent. It can reduce over time as other parts of your Universal Credit increase, for example when benefit rates rise each April, and it can end if your circumstances change significantly. Even so, it cushions the move and protects your income in the short term.

Savings and the capital disregard

Universal Credit normally cannot be claimed if you have more than £16,000 in savings. This is a particular worry for people moving from tax credits, which had no savings limit. To deal with this, people who move from tax credits through managed migration get a transitional capital disregard: savings above £16,000 are ignored for up to 12 assessment periods (about a year), giving you time to adjust. After that, the normal savings rules apply, so it is worth planning ahead if you have significant savings.

What changes when you move

Universal Credit works differently from the benefits it replaces, so expect a few changes:

  • One monthly payment. Instead of separate payments on different dates, you get a single payment once a month (twice monthly is an option in Scotland).
  • An online journal. You manage your claim, report changes and message your work coach online.
  • Work expectations. Depending on your situation, you may have to look for or prepare for work as part of your Claimant Commitment.
  • The five-week wait. Your first payment comes about five weeks after you claim, though you can request an advance to bridge the gap.

Step by step: making the move

When your Migration Notice arrives, the process is broadly the same as any new claim:

  • Read your notice and note the deadline.
  • Gather your details: bank account, National Insurance number, income, rent and childcare costs.
  • Make your Universal Credit claim online, or by phone if you cannot manage online, by the deadline.
  • Verify your identity and attend any appointment you are asked to.
  • Ask for an advance if you need money during the wait.

Our step-by-step guide to applying for Universal Credit walks through each stage in detail.

Should you move before you get a notice?

Generally, no, unless advice confirms you would be better off. Because transitional protection usually only applies through managed migration, claiming Universal Credit voluntarily could leave you permanently worse off if your Universal Credit entitlement is lower than your current benefits. Before making any voluntary move, run your details through a free benefits calculator from Turn2us or entitledto, or get a benefits check from Citizens Advice, so you understand exactly how your income would change. Remember too that claiming Universal Credit ends your legacy benefits for good, so the decision cannot be reversed.

What happens to your old benefits?

When you claim Universal Credit in response to a Migration Notice, your legacy benefits come to an end. Most stop from the day before your Universal Credit claim starts, though if you were getting Housing Benefit you usually receive a two-week run-on, an extra fortnight of Housing Benefit that you do not have to pay back, to help bridge the gap before your first Universal Credit payment. Tax credits stop, and any final award is reconciled by HMRC after the end of the tax year, which can occasionally lead to a separate overpayment or a top-up.

Will you need a new health assessment?

This worries many people moving from income-related ESA. If you were already assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity, that status generally carries across to your Universal Credit, so you should not need to start a fresh Work Capability Assessment. Make sure the DWP has your ESA details, and check your first statement to confirm the health element is included. If anything is missing, raise it in your journal straight away rather than waiting.

What if you have a partner?

Universal Credit is a household benefit, so if you live with a partner you make a single joint claim and both of your incomes and savings are counted together. If only one of you received the Migration Notice, you both still need to be part of the new claim. This sometimes surprises couples where one partner was claiming a legacy benefit in their own name, so check that both of you are included when you claim, and that your partner's income and any benefits they receive are recorded correctly.

Getting ready before your notice arrives

Even before your Migration Notice lands, there are useful things you can do. Make sure you have an email address, a mobile phone and access to the internet, or know where you can get online help locally. Gather your key details, such as your National Insurance number, bank account, rent agreement and childcare costs, and run a free benefits calculation so you have a rough idea of what your Universal Credit award will look like. Being ready means you can claim quickly and confidently when the letter comes.

Where to get help

Help to Claim from Citizens Advice is a free, confidential service that supports you through a new Universal Credit claim, including a move from a legacy benefit. You can also call the helpline shown on your Migration Notice, or the main Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644. For the full picture of how payments are worked out once you have moved, read our guide to how Universal Credit works and our breakdown of the Universal Credit elements.