The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is overseeing the most significant restructuring of the UK’s disability and welfare benefits system in decades. Millions of claimants face substantial changes affecting their income, assessments, and entitlements. This comprehensive guide explores what these changes mean for disabled people, carers, and those receiving support across the United Kingdom.
The Beginning of a Major Transition
The UK’s welfare landscape is undergoing transformation as the government pursues its ambitious Pathways to Work agenda. The combination of legacy benefits ending, Universal Credit migration, and proposals for PIP reform has created uncertainty for approximately four million people currently receiving disability support. Understanding these changes helps claimants navigate the system and plan for their financial futures.
The managed migration process commenced in July 2022 and has accelerated dramatically. The DWP now sends approximately 83,000 migration notices monthly to legacy benefit claimants. This represents one of the most complex administrative exercises undertaken by any UK government department, with significant implications for vulnerable people who depend on these payments for basic living costs.
What Are Legacy Benefits?
Legacy benefits represent the old system of welfare support that existed before Universal Credit. These six benefits are being phased out entirely by March 2026. Understanding which benefits fall into this category helps people recognise whether they might receive a migration notice.
The legacy benefits ending are Income Support, Housing Benefit, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Working Tax Credit, and Child Tax Credit. Tax Credits ended in April 2025. The remaining four benefits will cease by the end of March 2026.
People currently receiving these payments will be contacted directly by the DWP with individual migration notices. These letters explain the deadline for claiming Universal Credit and outline their rights to transitional protection. Receiving a migration notice does not grant flexibility about whether to move. Claimants must apply for Universal Credit to continue receiving financial support.
The Managed Migration Timeline
The DWP’s rollout follows a carefully planned schedule designed to move claimants gradually across the system. Initial phases targeted tax credit recipients. The current emphasis involves moving Employment Support Allowance claimants, many of whom have been receiving support for extended periods.
September 2025 marked a critical deadline for the DWP sending final migration notices. This ensures that by December 2025, all remaining legacy benefit claimants should have received their letters. The government aims to complete the entire migration by March 2026, permanently closing legacy benefits.
For claimants who have already received notices, the typical deadline for claiming Universal Credit is three months from the letter’s date. However, the DWP can extend this period if someone has a genuine reason requiring additional time. Requesting an extension before the deadline is essential, as missing it without good cause may result in loss of transitional protection.
Understanding Universal Credit
Universal Credit represents the new integrated benefit system combining support for working-age people across various circumstances. Unlike legacy benefits, which operated separately, Universal Credit brings together support for unemployment, disability, housing, childcare, and living costs into one monthly payment.
The standard allowance for single adults aged twenty-five and over will increase more than inflation annually until 2029-2030. This means single claimants could receive an additional £725 yearly by 2030 compared to current rates. However, this increase does not apply universally; it depends on individual circumstances and claim eligibility.
Universal Credit operates on a monthly assessment period basis. Claimants report changes within their assessment period. One assessment period typically runs from the eighth to the seventh of each month. This differs from legacy benefits, which sometimes operated on different cycles. Adapting to this new rhythm helps prevent unexpected underpayments or overpayments.
The Critical Three-Month Deadline
When someone receives a migration notice, they have three months to claim Universal Credit from that letter’s date. This deadline is not negotiable under normal circumstances. Missing it results in immediate cessation of legacy benefit payments without transitional protection.
Some claimants face genuine barriers preventing timely applications. Serious illness, hospitalisation, family bereavement, or severe difficulties contacting the DWP might constitute reasons for extending the deadline. Requesting this extension before the three-month period ends is crucial. Applications made after missing deadlines face significantly reduced chances of success.
The DWP recognises that processing time has become problematic. According to recent parliamentary evidence, the department has experienced unprecedented demand for disability benefits. Processing times for new PIP applications currently average fourteen weeks “end to end” from registration to decision. These delays mean someone who claims Universal Credit on the deadline date might not receive immediate payments.
To bridge this gap, legacy benefits continue for two weeks after Universal Credit commences. This provides temporary financial coverage during the transition period. However, understanding payment cycles and claim progress becomes essential to prevent financial hardship during these crucial weeks.
Transitional Protection Explained
Transitional protection represents the government’s commitment that claimants should not be financially worse off moving to Universal Credit compared to legacy benefits. This protection applies only when someone makes a “qualifying claim”—meaning they received a migration notice and claim before their deadline.
If someone’s Universal Credit entitlement is lower than their previous legacy benefit, they receive a transitional element added to their Universal Credit payments. This top-up continues indefinitely for some claimants, though circumstances and benefit changes can affect this protection.
For tax credit claimants, transitional protection includes a capital disregard, allowing them to have savings and investments up to £16,000 without this affecting their Universal Credit for twelve assessment periods. This recognises that many people moving from tax credits have accumulated small savings.
Students moving to Universal Credit qualify for a transitional student disregard, allowing them to continue studies without their legacy benefits ending immediately. This protects young people in education who are supported through their families’ claims.
However, significant changes in circumstances before or immediately after claiming Universal Credit can reduce or eliminate transitional protection. Relationship changes, new household members, or substantial income alterations all potentially affect this safeguard. Understanding these conditions prevents unwelcome surprises in future payments.
The Perfect Storm: Legacy Benefit Losses
Evidence from the DWP’s own figures reveals a troubling picture. Approximately 24 percent of people receiving migration notices have already lost their benefits entirely. This represents nearly 381,440 individuals who either missed deadlines or faced difficulties claiming Universal Credit.
The reasons vary considerably. Some claimants simply did not receive their migration notices. Others faced barriers navigating the online application system. Many discovered they were ineligible for specific Universal Credit elements, particularly the health element, after moving.
Women appear disproportionately affected by these losses. This reflects broader patterns where women earn less in employment, have interrupted work histories due to childcare, and are more likely to have care responsibilities affecting their work. The intersection of these factors with benefit changes creates particular hardship.
Disability charities and welfare organisations characterise these losses as devastating. The reality for many people means missing rent payments, reducing food spending, or accumulating debt. These are not abstract statistics but real financial crises affecting real households struggling to cope with benefit transitions.
The government has acknowledged these difficulties but maintains that extensions are available for people with good reasons. However, accessing these extensions requires proactive contact with the DWP. Vulnerable people who are unaware of extension possibilities or lack the digital access or confidence to contact the department face particular risks.
The Health Element Cut: From £105 to £50
One of the most controversial changes affects the health element of Universal Credit. This element provides additional monthly support for people with health conditions or disabilities who claim Universal Credit. For new claimants from April 2026, this element will drop from £105 weekly to £50 weekly.
This represents an approximately 52 percent reduction in weekly payments. Over a year, this translates to roughly £3,000 less annual support for affected new claimants. The impact particularly affects people recently diagnosed with disabilities or health conditions.
However, existing claimants receiving the health element retain the £105 rate permanently. The rate freezes until 2030 and will not increase with inflation. This means existing claimants maintain current payment levels whilst the frozen rate’s real value gradually erodes through inflation.
The government has introduced a Severe Conditions Criteria allowing certain new claimants with the most serious, lifelong conditions to receive the higher rate. This protects people with conditions like advanced cancer, requiring constant care, or terminal illnesses. However, the criteria are narrow, affecting approximately 84,000 new claimants annually—around 10 percent of new health element claimants.
Disability charities responded with alarm at these changes. The reduction represents the largest single cut to working-age disability support in recent memory. Critics argue these changes contradict government rhetoric about supporting disabled people, instead creating perverse incentives where newly disabled people receive substantially lower support than those disabled previously.
The standard allowance increase partially offsets this reduction for some claimants. However, the offset is insufficient for many people. Someone receiving only the standard allowance plus minimal health element support will find the net effect is reduced income despite the standard allowance rising.
The PIP Assessment Review: Timms and the Backbench Revolt
Perhaps the most dramatic development involved the government’s attempts to tighten Personal Independence Payment eligibility criteria. In March 2025, the government announced proposals to increase qualifying thresholds for the daily living component of PIP.
Under the proposed rules, claimants would need to score at least four points in a single PIP daily living activity, rather than totalling eight points across all activities. This would have disqualified many people with multiple small difficulties affecting their independence. Conservative estimates suggested approximately 800,000 people would lose PIP eligibility under these changes.
However, faced with over 100 Labour MPs threatening to vote against the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill on 1 July 2025, the government performed a complete U-turn. All PIP eligibility changes were removed from the legislation entirely.
This backbench revolt represented an unusual moment of parliamentary democracy successfully blocking welfare cuts affecting vulnerable people. Disability campaign groups, MPs from across the political spectrum, and charities united against proposals they characterised as harmful and rushed through without adequate consultation with disabled people.
The government committed to postponing any PIP changes until after a comprehensive review concludes. This review, led by Sir Stephen Timms, the Minister for Social Security and Disability, represents the first full review of PIP since its introduction in 2013.
The Timms Review: A New Approach to Assessing Disability
The Timms Review marks a significant philosophical shift in how the government approaches disability assessment. Rather than rushing through changes in isolation, the government committed to co-producing the review with disabled people, disability charities, clinicians, MPs, and other stakeholders.
Two disability experts were appointed as co-chairs alongside Sir Stephen Timms in October 2025. Dr Clenton Farquharson brings over twenty-five years’ experience advocating for disability rights and social justice. Sharon Brennan holds expertise as director of policy and external affairs at National Voices, a coalition of health and care charities. She has also advised the Department for Transport on accessibility matters.
The review will examine the PIP assessment process comprehensively. It will consider whether current activities and descriptors fairly reflect how conditions actually affect people’s daily lives. The assessment uses points awarded across different activities, with certain point thresholds determining eligibility for daily living and mobility components.
Critically, the updated terms of reference confirm that the review will consider how recommendations might apply to existing PIP claimants when they face reassessment. This addresses earlier ambiguity about whether changes would affect current recipients. Any modifications could potentially apply to both new claims and reassessments of existing awards.
The government has confirmed spending on PIP cannot exceed current projections, whatever changes emerge. This constrains recommendations, indicating any modifications must not significantly expand costs. This limitation concerns some disability campaigners who worry it prioritises cost-cutting over fairness.
The review is expected to report findings by autumn 2026. An interim report will likely emerge before then. The timeframe allows for genuine engagement with disabled people and expert consultation rather than rushed policy-making.
Current PIP Numbers and Assessment Delays
As of April 2025, approximately 3.7 million people receive PIP in England and Wales. This represents a two percent increase from January 2025, reflecting the broader trend of rising disability benefit claims following the pandemic.
Processing times for new PIP applications currently average fourteen weeks from initial application to decision. This represents the “end to end” clearance time. The assessment provider’s role in evaluation takes approximately ten weeks. This means the DWP itself controls roughly four weeks of the processing time.
However, PIP reviews initiated by the DWP take substantially longer. The median wait for a DWP-initiated review assessed by an assessment provider was 290 days as of September 2024. This represents over nine months. When assessment providers are not involved, the wait drops to 252 days, suggesting the DWP controls approximately 8-9 months of the waiting period.
These delays frustrate claimants and charities alike. When someone’s circumstances change significantly, waiting nine months for review decisions leaves them struggling with inadequate payments. The DWP has acknowledged recruiting additional case managers to address these delays, but improvement remains limited.
Sir Peter Schofield, the DWP’s permanent secretary, attributed delays to unprecedented demand for disability benefits. The caseload has grown fifty percent in recent years. Additionally, application forms require more detailed completion than previously, taking longer for claimants to prepare.
However, Liberal Democrat MP Rachel Gilmour challenged these explanations. She stated that her constituents’ situations are “far from unique” and rejected the suggestion that claimants completing forms slowly drives most delays. She argued the DWP must find ways to enhance outcomes rather than blaming claimants.
Scotland and Northern Ireland: Devolved Approaches
The four nations approach disability benefits somewhat differently, particularly regarding assessment arrangements. Scotland has moved furthest in devising alternative systems.
In Scotland, adults with disabilities are gradually transitioning from PIP to Adult Disability Payment. This is a Scottish government-managed benefit with similar aims but potentially different assessment approaches reflecting Scottish government priorities around dignity and fairness.
The transfer process moves people with relevant health condition changes first. Those not scheduled for review are moved based on distance from their review date. The process takes three to four months for routine cases or one to two months when someone reports relevant condition changes.
Northern Ireland continues using PIP but operates alongside its own welfare administration. The Department for Communities in Northern Ireland manages both legacy and new benefits.
These devolved arrangements create additional complexity for people moving between nations or living with family in different parts of the UK. Entitlements may differ, and rules about residence and travel requirements vary across administrations.
What Disabled People Say About These Changes
Disability organisations and the disabled community have expressed considerable concern about recent changes and proposals. Scope, a major disability charity, described government proposals as “the biggest cuts to disability benefits on record.” The organisation worried these cuts would be “a catastrophe for disabled people’s living standards and independence.”
Epilepsy Action urged that the Timms Review should focus on fixing real challenges rather than becoming an instrument for cutting benefits further. The organisation noted that people with fluctuating and invisible conditions like epilepsy face particular difficulties with current PIP assessments. These problems need addressing through improved assessment rather than stricter eligibility criteria.
Parkinson’s UK raised concerns that assessors often fail to understand condition-specific impacts. The charity documented that people with Parkinson’s experience degrading and humiliating assessments. The organisation expressed willingness to provide DWP and assessors training on Parkinson’s to improve assessment quality.
Carers UK highlighted concerns about changes affecting carer’s benefits alongside disability benefits. The government’s original proposals included changes that would have caused 150,000 carers to lose benefits by 2030. Campaigning led to removal of these provisions from legislation.
Multiple charities united in calling for government to work with disabled people in designing reforms rather than imposing changes without consultation. The perception that government rushed through proposals without listening to disabled people’s lived experience motivated the U-turn on PIP eligibility changes.
Preparing for Migration to Universal Credit
For those receiving migration notices, preparation helps minimise disruption and financial difficulties. First, securing the migration notice letter is essential. People should not discard these letters or lose them. The letter contains crucial information including deadlines and the UC Migration Notice Helpline contact details.
Reading the letter thoroughly helps understand individual deadlines and circumstances. Each migration notice contains specific dates and requirements. Missing key information leads to errors that could cost financial support.
Gathering documentation supports the Universal Credit application. Payslips, bank statements, identification, immigration status proof, and health condition information help complete the claim accurately. Having this information ready streamlines the process and reduces delays.
The Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline (0800 169 5903) provides free advice and support. Advisers can explain next steps, help understand deadlines, and assist with applications. Local Jobcentre Plus offices also provide support, where staff can help with applications and answer questions.
Claiming Universal Credit before the deadline protects transitional protection entitlements. Applications cannot be completed too early, but completing before time pressures build helps avoid mistakes. The online application through Universal Credit can be completed from home or with support at Jobcentre Plus.
If circumstances prevent claiming by the deadline, contacting the DWP before that date to request extension is critical. Explaining the barrier enables the department to potentially grant additional time. Requests made after missing deadlines face far greater difficulty.
Once Universal Credit is claimed, tracking application progress through the online account helps identify any issues or missing information. The Universal Credit account displays statements about payments, dates, and requirements. Keeping records supports resolving any discrepancies.
Financial Planning During Transition
Many people experience financial uncertainty during the migration period. Understanding this helps people plan and access available support.
During the two weeks after Universal Credit commencement, legacy benefits continue. This provides temporary coverage as the new claim processes. After this period, only Universal Credit pays unless transitional protection applies.
If Universal Credit takes longer to process, budgeting advance loans are available. These interest-free loans are automatically deducted from future Universal Credit payments. Single people can borrow up to £348, couples up to £464, and larger amounts apply for families with children.
The government capped deductions from Universal Credit from April 2025 onwards. Deductions for loans and overpayments cannot exceed 15 percent of the standard allowance, down from 25 percent previously. This protects claimants from excessive deductions when repaying loans.
People who genuinely struggle during transition should contact Citizens Advice, their local welfare rights service, or charity organisations specialising in benefits. These organisations provide free confidential advice and can sometimes access emergency funds or crisis support.
What Happens with Work Capability Assessment
Significant changes to how the DWP assesses work capability are planned. The Work Capability Assessment, used to determine Employment Support Allowance entitlements, will end in 2028.
Going forward, the PIP assessment will determine who qualifies for the health element of Universal Credit. This represents a substantial change. Currently, these assessments operate independently. In future, people’s eligibility for additional financial support in Universal Credit will flow from their PIP assessment outcomes.
This change has sparked debate about whether PIP adequately assesses work capacity. PIP assesses ability to carry out daily living activities and mobility. Work capability involves different considerations about remaining functional for employment. Disability organisations worry that conflating these assessments could disadvantage people.
The government is consulting on right-to-try protections allowing people attempting to return to work to maintain previous payments if the attempt fails within six months. This recognises that employment support needs to be flexible and account for fluctuating conditions.
Moving Forward: Key Takeaways
The combination of legacy benefits ending, Universal Credit migration, and the pending Timms Review creates a transitional period requiring careful attention from anyone affected by these changes.
Immediate actions for legacy benefit claimants: Await migration notices, respond within deadlines, gather documentation, and contact support services for help. Missing deadlines without good reasons results in losing transitional protection and potentially experiencing financial hardship.
Longer-term considerations: The Timms Review will shape PIP’s future. Disabled people interested in influencing this process should engage with public consultation activities. The review commitment to co-production with disabled people means genuine input opportunities exist.
Advocacy and support: Charities and welfare organisations continue campaigning to protect disability benefits and improve assessment processes. Supporting these organisations, sharing experiences, and engaging politically helps ensure disabled voices shape policy.
Understanding the system: Becoming familiar with Universal Credit’s operations, assessment periods, and obligations helps people navigate the system successfully. Training and information resources are available from charities and government sources.
The current transformation represents a complex moment for disability support in the UK. Whilst the government committed to improved consultation and disabled people’s involvement through the Timms Review, immediate hardship affects many people navigating legacy benefit transitions to Universal Credit.
Understanding changes, preparing thoroughly, and accessing available support helps mitigate difficulties. The journey ahead involves learning new systems and potentially advocating for improvements. However, the scale of change also creates opportunities to push for genuinely fairer and more responsive disability support systems.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is a migration notice?
A migration notice is an official letter from the DWP informing someone they must claim Universal Credit because their legacy benefit will end. The letter specifies a deadline (typically three months from the letter’s date) by which you must claim Universal Credit. Missing this deadline without good cause results in your legacy benefit stopping without transitional protection. The letter provides contact details for help and your personalised Universal Credit deadline.
If I miss my deadline, am I completely finished?
Missing your deadline has serious consequences but isn’t completely final. You have a further month to claim Universal Credit after your deadline passes. However, if you miss this final deadline, you lose eligibility for transitional protection. You can still claim Universal Credit later, but you’ll no longer receive the protection ensuring you’re not worse off financially than before. Contacting the DWP before your deadline to request an extension is far more effective than missing it entirely.
Will I definitely lose money moving to Universal Credit?
Not necessarily. Many people receive similar or slightly higher amounts on Universal Credit, particularly after the standard allowance increases. Transitional protection ensures that if you qualify and claim on time, you won’t receive less than you were getting previously. However, the health element cut from April 2026 will affect new claimants with disabilities. Additionally, if you don’t qualify for transitional protection due to missing deadlines, you might receive less depending on your circumstances.
How long does processing a Universal Credit claim take?
Processing times vary considerably. Some claims are processed within weeks whilst others take longer. First payments typically arrive after 5-7 working days once your claim is submitted, though some people wait up to a month. For complex claims or when additional information is needed, processing extends further. During this wait, legacy benefits continue for two weeks after Universal Credit commencement. If you face financial difficulty whilst waiting, you can request a budgeting advance loan.
Should I apply for Universal Credit before or after I receive my migration notice?
You should wait for your migration notice. Applying early means your application won’t be processed as a migration claim, and you might lose eligibility for transitional protection. The migration notice triggers your officially recognised migration and protects your entitlements. Once you receive it, applying promptly (ideally within the three-month window) ensures you maintain all protections available. There’s no advantage to applying before receiving the notice and doing so might actually disadvantage you.
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