More Than 300,000 Lose DWP Benefits After Universal Credit Migration

More than 300,000 people had legacy DWP benefits closed during the managed move to Universal Credit after no qualifying claim was recorded within the required migration period.

The closures were linked to the government’s effort to replace older means-tested benefits with Universal Credit, meaning affected claimants had to make a new claim rather than wait for an automatic transfer.

Key Detail	Figure
Individuals With Legacy Benefits Closed	360,030
Households Affected	241,064
Latest Data Period	End of March 2026

The figures also show why Migration Notices are important. Claimants who need more time may be able to request an extension, while delays can affect payment continuity and access to transitional protection.

How Many People Have Lost DWP Benefits?

According to DWP statistics covering July 2022 to the end of March 2026, 2,353,319 individuals in 1,822,374 households had been sent Universal Credit migration notices.

Of those:

• 1,992,161 Individuals Made A Universal Credit Claim
• 1,580,239 Households Made A Universal Credit Claim
• 360,030 Individuals Did Not Claim And Had Legacy Benefits Closed
• 241,064 Households Were Recorded In The Same Closure Category
• 1,131 Individuals Were Still Going Through The Migration Process

This means the majority of people receiving migration notices successfully moved to Universal Credit. However, a significant minority did not make a claim before their legacy benefit entitlement was brought to an end.

The figure is higher than the 356,521 individuals reported in DWP statistics covering the period to December 2025, which explains why some earlier reports refer to a slightly smaller number.

Are The 360,030 Benefit Closures Individuals Or Households?

The distinction between individuals and households is important because the two figures have sometimes been presented interchangeably.

The official March 2026 statistics record:

Category	Number
Individuals With Legacy Benefits Closed	360,030
Households With Legacy Benefits Closed	241,064
Individuals Who Claimed Universal Credit	1,992,161
Households Who Claimed Universal Credit	1,580,239

Therefore, saying that “360,030 households lost their benefits” would not accurately reflect the official data.

A household can contain more than one person included within the migration process, which is why the individual figure is considerably higher.

Why Did More Than 300,000 Lose DWP Benefits?

The closures happened as part of the Move to Universal Credit programme.

Universal Credit has been replacing several older means-tested benefits. Instead of being moved automatically, affected claimants generally receive a Migration Notice telling them they need to make a new Universal Credit claim.

The letter includes a deadline.

If someone does not make the required claim by the applicable deadline, their affected legacy benefits can end. This is why the official DWP category is described as “not claimed and legacy benefits closed”.

It is therefore more accurate to say that these benefits were closed following non-claiming during managed migration rather than suggesting that all claimants were suddenly removed from benefits without a migration process.

Why Did Some People Not Claim Universal Credit?

There is no single explanation covering every one of the 360,030 individuals.

However, DWP-commissioned research involving former tax-credit customers who had not claimed Universal Credit identified several barriers.

Among those surveyed:

• 30% Said The Claim Process Felt Like Too Much Effort
• 27% Were Frustrated About Having To Move To Universal Credit
• 25% Did Not Want To Attend Jobcentre Plus
• 19% Expected The Move To Universal Credit To Happen Automatically
• 16% Said They Did Not Have Enough Information To Make A Decision
• 12% Experienced Problems Using The Universal Credit Website
• 10% Said They Did Not Have Enough Time To Claim

Overall, 57% selected at least one reason connected with the migration or claiming process. The research also identified difficulties involving health conditions, digital access, documentation and English-language barriers.

These percentages should not be treated as a breakdown of all 360,030 people because the research focused specifically on former tax-credit customers.

Which Legacy Benefits Were Being Replaced?

Universal Credit has replaced or is replacing several working-age means-tested benefits.

These include:

• Working Tax Credit
• Child Tax Credit
• Income Support
• Income-Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Income-Related Employment And Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit For Most Working-Age Claimants

Not every benefit is replaced by Universal Credit.

Benefits such as Personal Independence Payment are separate and do not automatically end simply because someone receives a Universal Credit migration notice.

Housing Benefit can also continue in some circumstances, particularly for people living in qualifying supported or temporary accommodation.

How Does Universal Credit Managed Migration Work?

Managed migration is different from simply choosing to apply for Universal Credit.

The process normally starts when the DWP sends a person a Migration Notice.

The claimant should then:

1. Check The Deadline Printed On The Migration Notice
2. Prepare Their Information About Income, Housing, Savings And Household Circumstances
3. Submit A Universal Credit Claim
4. Provide Any Evidence Requested
5. Complete Any Required Identity Or Eligibility Checks
6. Contact DWP Before The Deadline If They Need Additional time

Claimants should not assume that an old benefit will automatically turn into Universal Credit.

A new Universal Credit claim normally needs to be made.

How Long Do Claimants Have To Respond To A Migration Notice?

A Migration Notice normally provides a claimant with a deadline by which they must claim Universal Credit.

The date shown on the individual letter is the date that matters.

Where somebody has a good reason for being unable to complete their claim in time, they can contact the DWP and ask for more time.

An extension is not automatic, so contacting the department before the deadline is important.

Official guidance also states that claiming by the deadline is necessary to secure transitional protection under the standard managed-migration rules.

Someone who has received a letter should therefore avoid calculating their own deadline based on when they think the migration programme ends.

What Happens If The Migration Deadline Is Missed?

If no Universal Credit claim is made within the applicable migration period, the affected legacy benefits can be closed.

That can create a gap in household income.

A person may still qualify for Universal Credit under the ordinary eligibility rules after missing their migration deadline, but the timing can affect whether transitional protection remains available.

Citizens Advice states that someone who misses the original deadline may still be able to receive transitional protection if they claim within one month of that deadline.

A claim made later may still qualify for Universal Credit, but transitional protection may no longer apply.

Anyone who misses a deadline should therefore act quickly rather than assuming that there is no longer any point in applying.

What Is Transitional Protection?

Transitional protection is designed to reduce the risk of an immediate financial loss when someone moves from qualifying legacy benefits to Universal Credit through managed migration.

Where eligible, a claimant may receive a transitional element added to their Universal Credit award if their calculated Universal Credit entitlement would otherwise be lower than their previous benefit entitlement.

Transitional protection can also include special rules for some former tax-credit claimants and certain students.

It is not necessarily permanent.

The transitional amount can reduce as other Universal Credit elements rise, and certain changes in circumstances can cause the protection to end.

Official figures show that 814,703 households had been awarded transitional protection by the end of March 2026.

Can Someone With More Than £16,000 In Savings Still Move To Universal Credit?

Normally, having more than £16,000 in capital means a person cannot receive Universal Credit.

However, special transitional rules can apply to people moving from tax credits after receiving a Migration Notice.

Eligible former tax-credit claimants can have savings, money and investments above £16,000 temporarily disregarded for up to 12 Universal Credit assessment periods.

Each assessment period normally lasts one month.

After those 12 assessment periods, normal Universal Credit capital rules apply if the claimant still has more than £16,000.

This exception is important because DWP research found that some non-claimants believed their savings or income automatically made them ineligible without first confirming whether transitional rules applied.

Did Every Affected Person Lose More Than £1,000 A Month?

No official DWP figure shows that every affected claimant lost more than £1,000 each month.

The managed-migration statistics primarily report:

• Migration Notices Sent
• Universal Credit Claims Made
• Legacy Benefit Closures
• Transitional Protection Awards

They do not provide one average monthly amount lost by all 360,030 individuals.

The financial effect would vary substantially between households depending on factors such as rent, earnings, children, disability-related elements, childcare costs and the combination of benefits previously being received.

Some households may therefore have had considerably more money at risk than others.

What Should Someone Do After Receiving A Migration Notice?

A Migration Notice should not be ignored.

The claimant should first find the deadline printed on the letter and begin preparing their Universal Credit claim.

Useful steps include:

• Read The Whole Letter And Identify The Deadline
• Gather Evidence About Income, Savings And Housing Costs
• Prepare Identification Documents
• Start The Universal Credit Application Early
• Respond To Requests For Additional Evidence
• Ask For Help If Completing An Online Application Is Difficult
• Request More Time Before The Deadline If There Is A Genuine Barrier

Starting early gives the claimant more time to deal with identity verification, missing documents or technical problems.

What Should Someone Do If Their Benefits Have Already Been Closed?

A person who discovers that their legacy benefit has ended because they did not complete managed migration should act promptly.

They should:

• Check The Original Migration Notice And Confirm The Deadline
• Contact The DWP About Their Migration Case
• Explain Any Reason That Prevented Them From Claiming In Time
• Ask Whether A Late Claim Can Still Receive Transitional Protection
• Make A Universal Credit Claim If Advised To Do So
• Keep Copies Of Letters And Messages
• Seek Independent Benefits Advice If The Position Is Unclear

Medical treatment, bereavement, postal problems, difficulty managing personal affairs or other serious circumstances may be relevant when explaining why action was not taken earlier.

DWP Universal Credit Managed Migration Timeline

The Move to Universal Credit programme has developed over several years.

2022: Managed migration restarted on a small scale, with migration notices included in the current statistical series from July 2022.

2023: The programme expanded as more households receiving legacy benefits were contacted.

2024: Migration was widened further, including more claimants receiving Employment and Support Allowance and other legacy benefits.

2025: Large numbers of remaining legacy-benefit claimants were moved through the process as the government worked towards completing managed migration.

March 2026: The latest detailed Move to Universal Credit statistics recorded 360,030 individuals whose legacy benefit claims had closed after they had not claimed Universal Credit.

September 2026: DWP reported that the Move to Universal Credit programme was close to being complete, with primarily customers who required more time to arrange an appointee remaining in the process.

DWP also reported that just over 2,000 migration notices were sent between January and the end of April 2026, compared with around 340,000 during the equivalent period in 2025.

Is The Move To Universal Credit Complete In 2026?

The programme is now close to completion, but that does not mean every individual case has finished.

DWP’s September 2026 statistics indicate that the remaining cases mainly involve people who need additional time to arrange an appointee.

This is significant because Universal Credit has now largely taken the place of the main working-age means-tested legacy benefits covered by the managed-migration programme.

However, older benefit names can still appear in statistics because some people may receive contribution-based versions of benefits or fall within particular exceptions.

Conclusion

The claim that more than 300,000 people lost DWP benefits is based on genuine official statistics, but the figures need to be presented carefully.

By the end of March 2026, 360,030 individuals in 241,064 households had been recorded as not having claimed Universal Credit after receiving migration notices and having their affected legacy benefit claims closed.

The figures do not mean that 360,030 households were affected, nor do they show that every claimant lost the same amount of money.

Anyone receiving a Migration Notice should check the deadline carefully and make the required Universal Credit claim rather than assuming the transfer will happen automatically.

People who have already missed a deadline should act quickly because the timing of a later claim can affect transitional protection.

FAQs

Why Did More Than 300,000 People Lose DWP Benefits?

Their legacy benefits were closed after they received Universal Credit migration notices but did not complete a Universal Credit claim within the applicable migration period.

Can DWP Extend A Universal Credit Migration Deadline?

Yes. A claimant can ask for additional time where there is a good reason, but the request should normally be made before the deadline shown on the Migration Notice.

Can Someone Still Claim Universal Credit After Missing The Deadline?

Yes, if they meet the normal Universal Credit eligibility conditions. However, delaying the claim can affect transitional protection and create a gap in payments.

Can Legacy Benefits Be Reinstated After Missing The Deadline?

It depends on the circumstances and the decision involved. Someone whose benefits have stopped should contact DWP promptly and seek independent benefits advice where necessary.

Is Transitional Protection Available After A Missed Deadline?

It can remain available in limited circumstances. Citizens Advice states that a Universal Credit claim made up to one month after the original migration deadline may still qualify for transitional protection.

Does The 360,030 Figure Cover The Whole UK?

The official Move to Universal Credit statistics containing the 360,030 figure apply to England, Scotland and Wales, rather than Northern Ireland. The data should therefore be described as Great Britain statistics when geographical precision is required.