Universal Credit if you're State Pension age and get a Migration Notice letter
You need to move to Universal Credit if you get a Migration Notice letter and you’re State Pension age, as tax credits are ending soon.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
Only read this guidance if you’re State Pension age and get a Migration Notice letter
There are different eligibility rules and guidance if you get a Migration Notice letter and you’re:
- a couple where one of you is State Pension age and one of you is under State Pension age, visit: Universal Credit if you’re a ‘mixed age couple’ and get a Migration Notice letter
- not State Pension age, visit: Move to Universal Credit if you get a Migration Notice letter
If you have not received a Migration Notice letter visit the Universal Credit guidance.
Universal Credit is for State Pension age people who are working
You can claim Universal Credit if you’re working and receiving tax credits.
If you’re State Pension age and get a Migration Notice letter, you can claim Universal Credit even if:
- you’re still working
- you’ve renewed your tax credits
- you have money, savings and investments of more than £16,000
- you’re receiving a pension
To continue getting financial support, you must claim Universal Credit by the deadline date in your letter.
You can continue working with no ‘work-related conditions’ for 12 assessment periods (about 12 months). This means you will not have to:
- increase your hours
- find additional work
- attend work-related meetings at your local job centre
Benefits that are ending
The following benefits are ending and are being replaced by Universal Credit:
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
Your benefits will end even if you decide not to claim Universal Credit.
Support with housing costs
If you’re eligible for Universal Credit, you can get an extra amount of money to pay towards your housing costs, such as rent, unless you live in supported or temporary accommodation.
Find out more about housing costs and Universal Credit.
You may be eligible for Housing Benefit
If you’re in supported or temporary accommodation your Housing Benefit will continue and will not end.
You’re eligible to reclaim Housing Benefit if you do not get Universal Credit or stop claiming Universal Credit.
You’re in supported or temporary accommodation
If you live in supported or temporary accommodation, your Housing Benefit will continue to be paid by your local council.
If you decide not to claim Universal Credit, you’ll continue to get Housing Benefit. However, your tax credits will end.
As you’re getting Housing Benefit, you cannot get the extra amount of Universal Credit to help with housing costs.
If you get Housing Benefit and you’re not sure if you live in supported or temporary accommodation, speak to your local council.
Reclaiming Housing Benefit
Unless you live in supported or temporary accommodation, your Housing Benefit will be ending 2 weeks after your deadline date. However, you are eligible to reclaim Housing Benefit.
You can reclaim Housing Benefit if:
- you do not claim Universal Credit
- you claim before your deadline date but are not entitled to Universal Credit
- you stop receiving Universal Credit
You can get advice from your local council about backdating your Housing Benefit claim. Your claim can only be backdated for up to 3 months.
Find out more about Housing Benefit eligibility.
When you need to apply
To continue receiving financial support you must claim Universal Credit by the deadline date in your letter.
If you cannot claim Universal Credit by the deadline date, you should contact the Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline as soon as possible.
You may be able to get more time to make a claim if you have a good reason. You must request this before your deadline date.
Transitional protection
As your benefits are ending and you need to move to Universal Credit some of the normal eligibility rules for claiming are different. This is known as ‘transitional protection’.
To get transitional protection you must claim Universal Credit by your deadline date.
You will not get transitional protection if you claim before you get a Migration Notice letter.
Transitional protection top up payments
If the amount you’re entitled to on your existing benefits is more than you’ll get on Universal Credit, a top up is available.
If you have debt from your existing benefits, this will be recovered when you move to Universal Credit and deducted from your Universal Credit amount. See what you’ll get for more on deductions.
You do not need to apply for transitional protection. It will be paid to you automatically if you get a Migration Notice and make a Universal Credit claim by your deadline date.
Money, savings and investments
You can claim Universal Credit even if you have money, savings and investments over £16,000 for 12 assessment periods.
After this, you will not be eligible for Universal Credit if you still have more than £16,000 in money, savings and investments.
If you apply after the deadline date and have money, savings and investments of more than £16,000 you will not be able to claim Universal Credit.
Change of circumstances
If you have a change in circumstances, such as stopping work before you claim Universal Credit, you may not be eligible for transitional protection.
If you have a temporary increase in earnings, this could end your Universal Credit entitlement. If your earnings reduce again within the next 3 months, and no other circumstance change, you can reclaim Universal Credit again.
Claiming Pension Credit instead of Universal Credit
If you choose to apply for Pension Credit instead of Universal Credit, you will not get transitional protection and may receive less financial support.
If you then decide to withdraw your Pension Credit claim and apply for Universal Credit by your deadline date, you’ll still be eligible for transitional protection.
Once a claim to Pension Credit is accepted, the option to apply for Universal Credit is closed.
Find out more about Pension Credit. You can also use the Pension Credit calculator to work out how much you might get.
What you’ll get
On Universal Credit, most people will be entitled to the same amount they received from their previous benefits, or more. If your circumstances change before you make your claim, this may affect the amount you get.
Your Universal Credit payment is made up of a standard allowance and any extra amounts that apply to you, for example if you:
- have children
- have a disability or health condition which prevents you from working
- need help paying your rent
Find out more about what you’ll get.
Benefits calculators
You can use an independent, free and anonymous benefits calculator to estimate how much you could get on Universal Credit.
Benefit calculators give estimates so may not be accurate.
The entitledto and the Policy in Practice Better Off calculators:
- calculate transitional protection (top up payments) available
- take into account if you’re State Pension age
- can be used if you receive tax credits and have money, savings and investments of £16,000 or more
Calculations do not include any deductions that may be taken from your Universal Credit amount.
DWP is not responsible for information given by the calculators.
Removal of the benefit cap
The benefit cap is normally applied to Universal Credit and other benefits. This a limit on the total amount of benefit you can get. However, the benefit cap will not apply if:
- you’re State Pension age
- you’re still working
- you receive a Migration Notice
How Universal Credit is worked out
Your Universal Credit award is calculated based on your circumstances each month. These are called your ‘assessment periods’. This is different to tax credits which are calculated yearly.
Earnings
How much Universal Credit you get will depend on your earnings. This includes income from:
- full time work
- part time work
- employed or self-employed work
- pensions
Changes in your circumstances can affect how much you’re paid for the whole assessment period – not just from the date you report them.
Find out how your wages affect your payments.
Deductions
Money can be taken from your Universal Credit payments to pay for things like:
- court fines
- rent arrears
- overpayments or arrears from tax credits, Council Tax, Housing Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- utility debts, like electricity, gas, water
Money cannot be deducted from things like your child allowance, childcare, and housing costs.
Find out more about money taken off your Universal Credit payment.
If you’re claiming a pension
You can still claim Universal Credit if you’re receiving your pension. However, the amount of pension you receive will be deducted from your Universal Credit amount and treated as income.
If you have delayed (‘deferred’) your State Pension
If you delayed taking your pension before you received your Migration Notice, we will not treat your deferred pension as income for 12 assessment periods.
If you then decide to take your pension within this period, it is treated as income.
After 12 assessment periods, the amount of pension you’re entitled to is counted as income, even if you’ve decided not to take it. This is known as ‘notional’ income. This can affect how much Universal Credit you get.
Once you move to Universal Credit, you will not be able to continue building up any:
- extra State Pension
- State Pension lump sum (if you reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016)
What you’ll get if you live with your partner
How much you can get will depend on your partner’s income and savings, as well as your own.
How to claim Universal Credit
You can apply for Universal Credit online. If you live in Wales, you can also claim in Welsh.
You need to create an account to make a claim. You must complete your claim within 28 days of creating your account or you’ll have to start again.
When you or your partner make a claim to Universal Credit your existing benefits that are being replaced by Universal Credit will stop. You cannot go back to those benefits, because they are ending.
If you cannot apply online, you can claim by phone. Call the Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline.
Couples who live together
Universal Credit counts 2 people as being a couple if they live in the same household and are:
- married to each other
- civil partners of each other
- living together as if they’re married
If you live with your partner you must make a joint claim, even if your partner is not eligible for Universal Credit. You cannot claim by yourself.
You must both create Universal Credit online accounts. The first person to create their account will receive a partner linking code. You need to give this code to your partner to use when they create their online account. This links the accounts together to make your joint account.
Once you’ve created your account you can make a claim for Universal Credit.
Couples who live apart
If you’re in a couple who live apart and you both get Migration Notices, you’ll each need to make separate single claims. You cannot claim together.
As you received a Migration Notice and are moving from tax credits, you will be entitled to claim even if you have money, savings and investments of more than £16,000.
You will not be eligible for the transitional protection top-up payment.
Appointees
If you have an appointee who is responsible for making and maintaining your benefit claims, your Migration Notice letter will be sent directly to them. They will need to make the Universal Credit claim for you.
What you’ll need to apply
To apply online you’ll need:
- your bank, building society or credit union account details
- an email address
- access to a phone
To prove your identity, you’ll need some documents such as your:
- driving licence
- passport
- debit or credit card
- payslip or P60
To complete your claim you’ll need to provide information about:
- your housing, for example how much rent you pay
- your earnings, for example payslips
- any disability or health condition that affects your work
- how much you pay for childcare if you want help with childcare costs
- your savings and any investments, like shares or a property that you rent out
You might need an appointment with the Universal Credit team if:
- they need more information
- you cannot verify your identity online
You’ll be told if this appointment will be in a jobcentre or on the phone.
Apply for Universal Credit online
Steps to getting Universal Credit
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Set up an Online Universal Credit account.
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Complete and submit online claim.
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Prove your identity.
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Provide documents and evidence to support your claim.
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Agree the activities in your claimant commitment.
When you prove your identity we’ll know you’ve received a Migration Notice letter and your information will be linked up automatically.
If you need help to make your claim you can get free support from the Citizens Advice Help to Claim service:
How you’re paid
Universal Credit is paid once a month, usually into your bank, building society or credit union account.
If you’re not able to open a bank, building society or credit union account, call the Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline for advice about how to arrange a different way of getting paid.
Your payment can include an amount for housing costs, which you’ll usually need to pay to your landlord. If your landlord was being paid your housing costs directly, you’ll need to discuss the change of payment arrangements with them.
Final payments for existing benefits
The date of your final payments from your existing benefits depends on whichever is first:
- the deadline date on your letter
- when you make a claim to Universal Credit
If any further payments are due, they will be made shortly after your entitlement ends.
Moving from tax credits
If you claim tax credits, your entitlement will end as soon as you make a claim to Universal Credit.
If you do not make a claim by the deadline, your tax credit entitlement will end on the day before the deadline.
Moving from Housing Benefit
If you’ve applied for Universal Credit, you’ll keep getting your current benefit paid for 2 more weeks. You must still be eligible for your current benefit. You will not need to pay back these extra payments and they will not affect the Universal Credit you might get.
If you do not make a claim to Universal Credit by the deadline, your last day of entitlement to your existing benefits will be 2 weeks after the deadline.
If you receive both tax credits and Housing Benefit, your tax credits will end as soon as you make a claim, or the day before your deadline date (whichever is first). Your Housing Benefit will continue for 2 weeks.
Help while waiting for your first payment
Your claim starts on the day you submit it in your account, however it usually takes around 5 weeks to get your first payment.
If you need help with your living costs while you wait for your first payment, you can apply for an advance within your Universal Credit online account.
You’ll need to pay back your advance in instalments from your future Universal Credit payments.
Find out more about how you’re paid including payment dates, if you live with a partner, and alternative payment arrangements.
Your responsibilities
When you have made your claim to Universal Credit you’ll need to manage your own finances and maintain your claim online. This includes:
- updating your account
- managing your own rent and other housing costs, unless you have another payment arrangement in place
- reporting changes in circumstances
- if you’re self-employed, you will need to report your earnings every month
To get Universal Credit payments, you’ll need to accept an agreement called a ‘claimant commitment’. What you’ll need to commit to will depend on your age and circumstances. Find out more about claimant commitments.
If you’re employed or self-employed you will not be expected to look for work during your first 12 assessment periods.
Changes in circumstances you must tell us about
You need to report changes to your circumstances so you keep getting the right amount each month.
Changes can include:
- changing your bank details
- changes to work and money, such as earnings, pension income, jobs, rent and savings
- change to your health
- household changes, including children, care, partner and immigration status
Find out more about changes in circumstances you must tell us about.
You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you deliberately give wrong information or do not report a change in your circumstances.
Work-related conditions and assessments
When you move to Universal Credit, for 12 assessment periods you can work and have no conditions or requirements.
However, if you’re self-employed and move to Universal Credit you’ll need to declare your earnings every month.
After 12 assessment periods
If you decide to remain on Universal Credit after 12 assessment periods and continue working, a minimum earnings threshold (MET) will apply to your earnings.
From this point, we’ll look at your earnings for the last 3 months to see if they dropped below the MET. At any point during your claim, if your earnings drop below the MET for 3 months in a row your Universal Credit claim will be closed.
If you have a health condition or disability
If you have a health condition or disability which means you get a disability benefit, you may be entitled to an extra amount of Universal Credit. You will not need to provide a fit note or have a Work Capability Assessment (WCA).
If you do not get a disability benefit, you will need to provide a fit note or have a WCA to be entitled to an extra amount of Universal Credit.
Support
Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Phone: 0800 169 0328
0800 phone numbers are free to call from mobiles and landlines.
If you cannot speak or hear on the phone
Use our Relay UK service to make a free, text-supported call to the Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline. Dial 18001 followed by 0800 169 0328.
If you use British Sign Language (BSL)
Use our video relay service to make a BSL interpreted call to the Migration Notice Helpline.
If you’re on a computer, visit the video relay service.
- select Company to contact: ‘DWP (DA Languages)’
- select Department: ‘Universal Credit - if you have a Migration Notice letter’.
If you’re on a mobile or tablet, use the InterpretersLive! app.
From the app:
- select ‘Directory’, search for ‘Universal Credit’
- select ‘Universal Credit - I have a Migration Notice letter’
- select ‘Call Now’, select Company to contact: ‘DWP (DA Languages)’
- select Department: ‘Universal Credit - if you have a Migration Notice letter’
- select ‘Connect Now’.
If you need help, view a YouTube video.
Other financial help and support
If you get Universal Credit, you could be eligible for other benefits or financial support. You should check what you can get.
You might be able to get different support in Scotland.
If you’re in financial difficulties, you can get help and advice from the government, local councils, and other organisations, such as advicelocal.uk.
Updates to this page
Last updated 21 October 2024 + show all updates
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Added details of the Migration Notice Helpline video relay service for British Sign Language users. Added information about appointees in the ‘How to claim Universal Credit’ section. Added 'If you live in Wales, you can also claim in Welsh.' If you live in temporary or supported housing, your Housing Benefit will continue to be paid by your local council, even if you decide not to claim Universal Credit.
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Added a link to the new page on how money, savings and investments affect Universal Credit.
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Added translation
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Added guidance on how to claim and what transitional protection you're eligible for, if you're in a couple who live apart and you both get Migration Notice letters.
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Content added to confirm that if you're state pension age and getting a disability benefit, you will not need to provide a fit note or have a Work Capability Assessment (WCA) when you move to Universal Credit.
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First published.