Recipients of certain benefits are being warned to take action if they wish to continue receiving payments in 2025. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is continuing to phase out older benefits for millions of people this year.
A few years ago, the DWP started transitioning people on certain benefits, called legacy benefits, over to universal credit, which was introduced in 2013. This process is known as managed migration and has been carried out gradually over several years, with individuals being contacted to inform them they would be transitioned and in some instances, would need to make a universal credit claim. For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here
READ MORE: Two DWP benefits worth nearly £10,000 pensioners could claim
READ MORE: DWP Cold Weather Payments worth £25 triggered in 51 postcodes- full list
Full-scale managed migration started in April 2023, expanding gradually to different areas of Great Britain. The six legacy benefits being phased out include:
-
Child and working tax credit
-
Income-based jobseeker’s allowance
-
Income support
-
Income-related employment
-
Support allowance
-
Housing benefit
Tax credit is the first of 2025’s legacy benefit closures. According to the DWP website, the benefit will close in April 2025, meaning customers must respond to their migration notices to continue receiving benefits. Those affected have three months from the date on their migration notice to apply for universal credit.
In addition the managed migration of around 800,000 claimants of income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) only, or income-related ESA and housing benefit, has been brought forward, having previously been delayed to 2028/29. The DWP began sending migration notices to these claimants in September 2024 and aims to notify all claimants in this cohort by December 2025.
The DWP plans to move all legacy benefit claimants to universal credit by March 2026, completing the rollout and closing all legacy benefits by this date.