The DWP has given claimants three months’ notice that the government plans to eliminate six legacy benefits by 2026 under the so-called “managed migration” procedure.
Nearly half a million benefit claimants have received a three-month warning from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about its intentions to phase out six legacy benefits by 2026.
DWP warns thousands of households about the 2025 benefit cut
The DWP is issuing “migration notices” to claimants who receive Housing Benefit, Income-related Employment Support Allowance (ESA), Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Child Tax Credit, Tax Credits, and Income Support as part of the “managed migration” process.
When the DWP implements the reforms, those who get DWP benefit warning letters must respond quickly. To send out-migration letters to around 500,000 households in phases starting in April 2024, the procedure started in 2024–2025 and targeted tax credit claimants who were also receiving other legacy benefits, as well as recipients of Income Support, income-based JSA, and Housing benefits.
The remaining 800,000 income-related ESA claimants, including those receiving Housing Benefit and income-related ESA, also began getting notifications in September 2024.
The last migration notifications are anticipated to be distributed in early December 2025, according to Social Security and Disability Minister Sir Stephen Timms. The goal is to transfer all claimants to Universal Credit and terminate all legacy payments by the end of March 2026.
After the Tax Credits are eliminated in April, no more applications will be accepted. The DWP is working hard to make sure that all Tax Credit recipients receive their migration notices.
The Mirror reports that as the year progresses, Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disabilities, emphasises urgency and forward planning for families by providing a harsh warning about the need for a fast changeover. He said: “As we start the new year, families across the country are thinking about what’s next.”
“With this in mind, I encourage everyone who has received a migration notice to act as quickly as possible and move onto Universal Credit. We know how quickly time can pass when you’re busy – and with just three months to go until Tax Credits close on the 5th of April – now is the time to respond to your Universal Credit migration notice to continue receiving benefits.”
Hundreds of thousands of DWP benefits warning letters will be sent over the next 12 months as the DWP intends to deliver migration notices to everyone claiming legacy benefits by the end of this year. By the end of March 2026, the benefits department hopes to phase out all legacy benefits.
