What is Move to Universal Credit
The benefits system is changing. If you currently get a benefit or tax credit that is ending, you will be asked to make a claim for Universal Credit instead. You will receive a letter when you need to Move to Universal Credit.
What is Universal Credit
Universal Credit is a payment for people under State Pension age who are on a low income or out of work. It includes support for the cost of housing, children and childcare, and financial support for people with disabilities, carers and people too ill to work. It is designed to help people both in work and out of work to get the financial support they need.
What is Move to Universal Credit
Universal Credit (UC) has been in place in Northern Ireland since 2017 and is replacing 6 older benefits including tax credits. It’s now time to start asking people who are still getting these benefits and credits to move to Universal Credit. This is known as Move to Universal Credit or Move to UC. When you claim Universal Credit, any benefits or tax credits it replaces will stop.
You will not be able to go back to your existing benefits or tax credits once you have claimed Universal Credit.
Will Move to Universal Credit affect you
If you live in Northern Ireland and get any of the benefits and/or tax credits being replaced by Universal Credit you do not need to do anything unless your circumstances change as the Department for Communities will send you a letter when it is time for you to move to Universal Credit.
The letter you will receive is called a Migration Notice letter. It will be clearly marked so that you know who it is from and will tell you that you need to make a claim to Universal Credit by a certain date. You will have 3 months from the date noted on your letter to make your claim.
Benefits that will end and move to Universal Credit
The following benefits and tax credits are ending and being replaced by Universal Credit:
- Child Tax Credits
- Working Tax Credits
- Income Support
- Income - Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income - Related Employment and Support Allowance
- Housing Benefit if you are working age and rent a home, excluding payments for rates
You will not move to Universal Credit if you are only getting
- New Style Jobseekers Allowance, or
- New Style Employment and Support Allowance
Other benefits that will not move to Universal Credit
If you get other benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Carer’s Allowance (CA), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Child Benefit, you will not be asked to move to Universal Credit unless you also receive one of the working age benefits or tax credits that is ending.
When you will be asked to move to Universal Credit
The Department for Communities started to issue Migration Notice letters from 16 October 2023 to people getting Working Tax Credits and/or Child Tax Credits and no other benefits.
From May 2024, Migration Notice letters will be issued to people getting the following benefits. These dates are a guide and this page will be updated if dates change.
| Benefit/Tax Credits | From |
|---|---|
| Tax Credits with Housing Benefit | May 2024 |
| Tax Credits with Income Support | June 2024 |
|
Child Tax Credits with Employment and Support Allowance (Income-Related) |
July 2024 |
| Pension Age Tax Credits | September 2024 |
|
Tax Credits with Jobseekers Allowance (Income-Based) Tax Credits with Jobseekers Allowance (Income-Based) and Housing Benefit |
October 2024 |
| Housing Benefit only | You will be asked to move to Universal Credit at a later date |
|
Jobseekers Allowance (Income-Based) only Jobseekers Allowance (Income-Based) with Housing Benefit |
You will be asked to move to Universal Credit at a later date |
|
Income Support only |
You will be asked to move to Universal Credit at a later date |
|
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) only Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) with Housing Benefit (HB) |
You will be asked to move to Universal Credit at a later date |
If you are over State Pension Age
People getting Tax Credits who are over State Pension age will be asked to apply for either Universal Credit or Pension Credit, depending on their circumstances. If this applies to you the Department for Communities will write to you to tell you what you need to do.
Further information is available on Tax Credits if you are State Pension age
Transitional Protection
Measures have been put in place to help and support you when you first move from your current benefit or tax credits to Universal Credit. For example, when you move over to Universal Credit and your circumstances stay exactly the same the amount of money you are entitled to should stay the same.
If the amount you are entitled to on Universal Credit is less than your previous benefits or tax credits, then financial protection may be available to you when you move to Universal Credit. This additional amount is known as ‘Transitional Protection’.
To be eligible for ‘Transitional Protection’:
- you must only apply for Universal Credit once you have received your letter
- you must apply before the deadline date in your letter
- there must be no changes in your circumstances
If you are eligible, financial protection will be automatically added to your payment. Transitional Protection is not a loan or a debt and you will not be asked to repay it.
To help show how Transitional Protection works, here is an example.
Example
Sarah is entitled to £700 on her existing benefits or tax credits.
Her Universal Credit entitlement is £600.
This mean’s Sarah’s Transitional Protection will be £100.
Her total Universal Credit entitlement is now £700.
Transitional Protection is not permanent. As your Universal Credit entitlement increases, your Transitional Protection payments will fall, until:
- your Universal Credit entitlement is the same or more than your previous benefits or tax credits
- you have certain changes to your circumstances
You can only get Transitional Protection if you have received a Migration Notice letter from the Department for Communities and you claim Universal Credit within the three month deadline date on your letter.
If you have not received a Migration Notice letter
If you are getting an existing benefit or tax credits, you should not do anything until you receive a letter telling you it is time to make a claim to Universal Credit.
If you are thinking about making a claim to Universal Credit before you receive a Migration Notice letter, you should seek independent advice. The AdviceNI website and helpline provides free, confidential, independent advice.
You can also use a benefit calculator to check how much Universal Credit you may get. This calculator does not include:
- any deductions for a debt
You can also check with a local benefits adviser to find out what you could be entitled to.