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People claiming ESA (Employment Support Allowance) are the ones affected by the latest notice.
ESA was the main disability benefit before the introduction of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in 2013, and in most cases is claimed alongside PIP now.
Those claiming ESA and PIP may need to take action to switch to Universal Credit.
If you have received a letter from the DWP since the beginning of September, telling you to apply for Universal Credit, then you will need to act.
The process, known as managed migration, is gradually informing the claimants of the benefits related to the changes.
The migration notice must be responded to promptly, with the DWP saying people will have three months to claim Universal Credit or risk losing their benefit rights.
The deadline for responding will be indicated on your letter.
The move may also have an impact on the amount of money those currently on legacy benefits receive, with some finding themselves better off and some finding themselves worse off.
However, additional payments will be available to eligible claimants whose payments are reduced as a result of the change.
Additional payments will continue until the claimant’s Universal Credit entitlement matches the amount they were receiving on legacy benefits.
The plans to move people to Universal Credit will affect people who claim six types of support:
- Child tax credit
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Employment Allowance and Income Support (ESA)
- Working tax credit
DWP guidance says: “On Universal Credit, most people are entitled to the same amount as they received from their previous benefits or more.
“If the amount you are entitled to on your existing benefits is more than what you will receive on Universal Credit, a top-up is available. This is called transitional protection.
“You can only get this top-up if you have received a Migration Notice letter from DWP and claim by the expiry date on your letter. If your circumstances change before you make your claim, this may affect the amount you have.
“You should claim as soon as possible to ensure that the amount you are currently entitled to can be protected. Any transitional protection you receive as part of your Universal Credit claim may stop if you have a change in circumstances once you have your request.”