Moving to Universal Credit from other benefits
You might be better off claiming Universal Credit if either:
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your situation changes
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a benefit you're claiming ends
It depends what happened and which benefits you're still getting. Universal Credit is replacing 6 benefits called ‘legacy benefits’. These are:
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Housing Benefit
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income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
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income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
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Child Tax Credits (CTC)
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Working Tax Credits (WTC)
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Income Support
You can’t usually make a new claim for these benefits.
If you already get one of them, you’ll have to move onto Universal Credit by 2024. You can stay on them for now - unless your situation changes in certain ways. For example, you might need to claim Universal Credit if you’ve separated from a partner or moved to a different council area.
Check if you need to apply for Universal Credit
If you apply for Universal Credit:
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any other legacy benefits you're getting will end
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you won't be able to go back to any of the legacy benefits in the future - even if you’re appealing a benefit decision
You should always check if you'll be better off on Universal Credit before applying.
If you got a severe disability premium (SDP)
You can claim Universal Credit even if you were getting, or recently stopped getting, a benefit with a severe disability premium (SDP).
You might get an extra amount in your Universal Credit - this is called the ‘transitional element’.
You’ll get the extra amount if you apply for Universal Credit within a month after you stop getting the benefit with the SDP.
You can’t get the extra amount if you:
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were only getting the SDP with Housing Benefit
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move in with a partner who is claiming Universal Credit
Before 27 January 2021, you couldn’t claim Universal Credit if you were getting, or recently stopped getting, a benefit with an SDP.
If you applied for Universal Credit before 27 January 2021, talk to an adviser to check what you’re entitled to.
Check if a change means it's a good idea to claim Universal Credit
If your work, home or family situation changes, you might be better off claiming Universal Credit. Some changes will end your benefit claim - so claiming Universal Credit might be the only way to replace them.
You can’t claim Universal Credit if you, and your partner if you have one, have both reached State Pension age. It’s usually best for you to claim Pension Credit.
Check if you can get Pension Credit rather than Universal Credit. If you need help with housing costs, you can also claim Housing Benefit.
You can't usually make a new claim for Pension Credit or Housing Benefit if you’re over State Pension age but have a partner under State Pension age. You can only make a new claim for Pension Credit or Housing Benefit if both the following apply:
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you or your partner reached State Pension age before 15 May 2019
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you’ve been claiming Housing Benefit or Pension Credit as part of the same couple since before 15 May 2019
If you separate from your partner
If you and your partner have a joint claim for Working Tax Credits or Child Tax Credits, your claim will end.
If you and your partner were claiming Housing Benefit, ESA, JSA or Income Support with your partner, check if the benefits are in your name.
If the benefit letters are addressed to you - that means the benefits are in your name. If you’re not sure, you can check with the DWP. Their contact details will be on any benefit letters you’ve received.
If the benefits are in your name, you’ll keep getting them. If the benefits aren’t in your name, they’ll usually stop.
If you're getting JSA and don’t have children, the rules about whether or not you can keep getting it are more complicated. Talk to an adviser to check if your JSA will stop.
If you’ve moved home or your partner moves in
If you're claiming Housing Benefit and you’ve moved to an area with a different local council, your Housing Benefit claim will end. You can find your local council on GOV.UK.
If you’ve moved to a different home in the same council area, you can stay on Housing Benefit if the claim was in your name.
The claim might not be in your name if you were claiming Housing Benefit with a partner and you've now separated from them. Check if the benefit letters are addressed to you - that means the claim was in your name. You can also ring your local council to check - find your local council on GOV.UK.
If you’re getting other benefits Universal Credit is replacing, you can keep getting them - but you must tell the DWP you’ve moved.
Talk to an adviser to check if you’ll be better off claiming Universal Credit.
If you and your partner move in together
If you or your partner are getting Child Tax Credits or Working Tax Credits, they will end when you move in together.
You can keep getting Housing Benefit, income-related ESA, income-based JSA or Income Support when you move in together if your partner:
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isn't getting Universal Credit
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doesn’t earn enough to stop you getting your benefits
To keep getting income-based JSA, either you or your partner also need to have children.
Talk to an adviser to check if you’ll be better off claiming Universal Credit.
Changes to do with your children
Having a baby or becoming responsible for a child won’t end your benefits.
You can only start getting Child Tax Credits if you’re already getting Working Tax Credits. Check if you can get Child Tax Credits.
If you can’t make a new claim for Child Tax Credits, you might be better off claiming Universal Credit. Talk to an adviser to check if you’ll be better off claiming Universal Credit.
If you're already getting Child Tax Credit and have another child, the amount you get might go up.
If you’re on Income Support
Your Income Support will end if all of the following apply:
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you’re a single parent
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your youngest child has turned 5
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you’re not a full-time carer for someone who’s sick or disabled
Talk to an adviser to check if you’ll be better off claiming Universal Credit.
If your work situation has changed
What you need to do depends on the benefits you’re claiming and how your work situation has changed.
If you or your partner start working or your hours go up
If you get income-based JSA, income-related ESA or Income Support, they will stop if either:
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you start working 16 or more hours a week
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your partner starts working 24 or more hours a week
If you start working, you can only keep getting ESA in some situations. Check what work you can do while getting ESA.
If you’re getting Child Tax Credits you might be able to start getting Working Tax Credits (WTC) as well. This depends on your situation and how many hours you’re working. You can check how many hours you need to work to get WTC.
If your earnings go up, the amount of benefits you’re getting might go down. Starting work or increasing your hours might mean you get less from the benefits you’re claiming. You might be better off getting Universal Credit - talk to an adviser to check if you’ll be better off.
If you stop working or your hours go down
If you're getting Working Tax Credits (WTC) and you stop working enough hours, your WTC might end. Check how many hours you need to work to keep getting WTC.
In some cases you can keep getting WTC for a limited time when you stop working, for example if you:
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lose or leave your job
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go on maternity leave
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go on sick leave and get Statutory Sick Pay
Check how long you can keep getting WTC.
Your other benefits won't end because you stop working or your hours go down. You might be better off getting Universal Credit - talk to an adviser to check if you’ll be better off.
If you have a partner and the older partner reaches State Pension age
If the person over State Pension age is getting certain benefits, they won’t be able to get them after they reach State Pension age. These benefits are:
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income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
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income-related Employment and Support Allowance
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Income Support
If the younger partner is getting one of these benefits, they can continue getting them and Housing Benefit. The older partner can also continue getting Housing Benefit if the younger partner is getting one of these benefits.
If your benefits end, you’ll usually have to apply for Universal Credit.
Your Housing Benefit claim won’t end if you're still allowed to start a new claim. For example, if you live in temporary or sheltered accomodation. Check who can make a new claim for Housing Benefit.
If the older partner reached State Pension age before 27 January 2021
If the older partner was claiming a benefit with the Severe Disability Premium when they reached State Pension age, they should have kept getting that benefit.
Check your benefits letter to see if you were getting an SDP. You might get an SDP with:
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income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
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income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
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Income Support
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Housing Benefit
Report a change of circumstances
You should report a change of circumstances as soon as you can - even if you can stay on your old benefits. You might be paid too much or too little if you report it later.
If you don’t report a change and you’re paid too much, you’ll need to pay the money back and you might have to pay some extra money as a penalty.
If you’re getting Working Tax Credits or Child Tax Credits, you need to tell HMRC about the change on GOV.UK.
If you're getting Best Start Foods or the Scottish Child Payment, you need to tell Social Security Scotland about the change on mygov.scot.
If you’re getting other benefits, you can check how to report the change of circumstances on GOV.UK.
Check how much you’ll get on Universal Credit
If you have a choice between staying on your old benefits and claiming Universal Credit, talk to an adviser to check how much you’d get on Universal Credit.
You can also check how much Universal Credit you’d get by using a benefit calculator. To get an accurate answer, you’ll need to know details about your:
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income - including any earnings or benefits
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rent and living costs
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savings and investments
Claiming Universal Credit
If you claim Universal Credit, you'll usually get one payment each month, although you can ask to be paid more often. You usually have to manage your claim online.
It will usually take 5 weeks to get your first Universal Credit payment - but it could take longer.
If your old benefits haven't ended, you can keep getting them for 2 weeks after you apply for Universal Credit. You won't need to pay back the extra payments and they won't affect how much Universal Credit you'll get. This applies to:
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income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
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income-related Employment and Support Allowance
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Income Support
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Housing Benefit
You’ll only get the extra 2 week payments if you’re still eligible for the benefit. You won’t need to pay back the extra payments and they won’t affect how much Universal Credit you’ll get.
If you won’t have enough money to live on while you wait for your first Universal Credit payment, you can ask for an advance payment. The advance payment is a loan - you’ll have to pay it back.
If you need help moving on to Universal Credit, you can talk to an adviser.