What a Migration Notice actually is
"Managed migration" is the process of moving everyone off the old benefits onto Universal Credit. The Migration Notice is the official letter from the DWP that starts the clock for you personally. It tells you that your current benefit is ending and that you need to make a Universal Credit claim by a deadline date printed on the letter.
The benefits being replaced ("legacy" benefits) are:
- Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit — these closed on 5 April 2025. There are no live tax credit awards after that date, so no new tax-credit Migration Notices are being sent.
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Housing Benefit (working-age — pension-age Housing Benefit continues)
The DWP aimed to send notices to everyone remaining by the end of 2025 and to complete the move and close legacy benefits by the end of March 2026. If you've received a notice, treat it as urgent however close that date is — the deadline on your letter is what matters.
This is not a scam — but check the letter is genuine
Real Migration Notices come by post from the DWP and never ask you to pay, to send money, or to claim through a private link or app. If you get a text or email pushing you to "claim now" or "verify your migration", that's a scam — run it through
our scam checker. The genuine claim is always free at GOV.UK.
The deadline — and what happens if you miss it
You get at least 3 months from the date on your Migration Notice to make your Universal Credit claim. That date is your deadline date, and it's printed clearly on the letter.
Two things you must understand:
- You have to claim — nothing happens automatically. Universal Credit will not be set up for you. If you don't claim, you simply stop getting support.
- Your current benefits stop on the deadline. When the deadline passes, your old benefits end whether or not you've claimed Universal Credit — so missing it can leave you with no income at all.
Need more time?
If you have a good reason, you can ask for your deadline to be extended — but you must ask before the deadline passes, using the phone number on your letter. Don't wait until the last day.
The one-month safety net
If you miss the deadline but claim within one month of it, you're treated as having claimed on time — so you still keep your transitional protection. Beyond that one month, you lose it. Either way, the safe move is to claim before the deadline.
Don't ignore the letter — even if it looks confusing
The single biggest mistake is putting the letter aside and missing the deadline. If the wording is unclear or you're not sure what to do, call
Citizens Advice Help to Claim free on 0800 144 8444 (England) — they help with exactly this — or
upload the letter and we'll explain it in plain English. Track the deadline with our
deadline guardian so it can't slip past.
Transitional protection — the top-up that stops you losing out
Some people's calculated Universal Credit comes out lower than what they got on their old benefits. To stop that being a sudden cut, the DWP adds a transitional protection top-up so that — at the point you move — you're no worse off in cash terms than before.
The important conditions:
- You only get it if you move because of a Migration Notice and you claim by your deadline (or within the one-month safety net).
- It erodes over time. The top-up gradually reduces as other parts of your award go up — for example at the annual April uprating, or when a new element is added to your claim. It's a cushion for the move, not a permanent guarantee.
- Miss the deadline and you don't get it. Claiming late (beyond the safety net), or moving voluntarily before a notice arrives, usually means no transitional protection at all.
This is the heart of why the deadline matters so much: it's not just whether you get Universal Credit, it's whether you get it at the protected amount.
Savings over £16,000 — the special rule for tax-credit claimants
Normally, having more than £16,000 in savings or capital stops you getting Universal Credit altogether. That rule catches a lot of former tax credit claimants, because tax credits never had a savings limit.
So there's a protection called the transitional capital disregard:
- If you were getting tax credits and had over £16,000 when you moved across on a Migration Notice, your savings above £16,000 are ignored for up to 12 monthly assessment periods — about a year — so you can still get Universal Credit during that time.
- Savings between £6,000 and £16,000 still reduce your award through "tariff income" in the normal way.
- The disregard ends early if your savings drop to £16,000 or less — after which normal Universal Credit rules apply.
Use the year to plan
The 12-month disregard is breathing space, not a permanent exemption. If your savings are over £16,000, get free advice from
Citizens Advice about what happens when it ends — and check our
free benefits check for anything else you may be missing.
Should you move before a notice arrives?
You can claim Universal Credit voluntarily at any time without waiting for a Migration Notice. Sometimes that's the right call — but be very careful, because the move is one-way.
- Once you claim Universal Credit, your old benefits end and you can't go back — even if your Universal Credit turns out to be lower.
- Moving voluntarily usually means no transitional protection — that top-up is reserved for people who move on a Migration Notice and claim by the deadline.
So before you claim voluntarily, always do a better-off check first. Our Better Off scan gives you an honest picture, and a free benefits calculator or Citizens Advice (0800 144 8444) can confirm the numbers for your exact situation. If you'd be worse off and you don't yet have a notice, it's usually better to wait for your Migration Notice so you get the protection.
How to claim
Your Migration Notice has a deadline — claim before it or your current benefits stop
Claim by the deadline date on your letter to keep your transitional protection. Can't manage online? The Universal Credit helpline is 0800 328 5644, and Citizens Advice Help to Claim (0800 144 8444, England) will help you through it free. Have ready: your bank details, rent or mortgage details, National Insurance number, ID and income details.
- Find your deadline date on the Migration Notice and note it down. You have at least 3 months from the date on the letter — ask for an extension before it passes if you genuinely need more time.
- Do a free better-off check (see above) so you know what to expect — transitional protection tops you up if your award would otherwise be lower.
- Make the claim online at gov.uk/universal-credit or by phone on 0800 328 5644. Your old benefits keep paying until your Universal Credit starts.
- Verify your identity and confirm details — online or at a Jobcentre. Attach the proof Universal Credit asks for, and tell them about any savings over £16,000 so the transitional capital disregard is applied if you qualify.
Your first Universal Credit payment normally arrives about 5 weeks after you claim. If you can't manage the wait, you can ask for an advance (a loan repaid from future payments). Confused by a DWP letter at any point? Upload it and we'll explain it in plain English.
Free UK support
- GOV.UK — Move to Universal Credit if you get a Migration Notice letter. The official rules and the claim.
- Citizens Advice Help to Claim — free help with your move and a better-off check: 0800 144 8444 (England), 08000 24 1220 (Wales), 0800 023 2581 (Scotland).
- Universal Credit helpline — 0800 328 5644 for help with your claim.
- Not sure Universal Credit is your only option? Run our free benefits check for everything you may be entitled to.
- Already getting Universal Credit? Our Universal Credit guide explains the amounts, the taper and what counts as income.