The move to UC

By the end of December 2025, the UK government aims to have sent Universal Credit  Migration Notice letters to all working-age people who currently claim benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). This is part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP) programme to fully switch people to Universal Credit by March 2026.

What do you need to know?

If you claim income-related ESA but haven’t switched to Universal Credit yet, expect to receive one of these letters soon.

These important letters contain all the information you need to make a Universal Credit claim. Please don’t apply for Universal Credit until you receive your letter, as doing so early could mean losing out on something called ‘transitional protection’, a financial top-up that ensures you don’t receive less than you did under your old benefits.

However, if you don’t act by the deadline date in your letter, your current benefits will stop, and you won’t receive transitional protection. 

If you haven’t switched to Universal Credit yet, please check your post regularly and act promptly when you receive your letter. If you haven’t received your letter by late December, please call the Migration Notice Helpline (0800 169 0328).

Help is at hand

We know this is a big change, so we have a team ready to help you. They’ve already been helping other tenants to make the switch by answering their queries, checking their awards have been calculated correctly and helping rectify any issues with claims.

If you need their help with your switch to Universal Credit, contact the team on financialinclusion@taitarian.co.uk or 01639 506623.