Universal Credit managed migration restarts

Managed migration to Universal Credit restarted on 9 May 2022, initially piloted in Medway and Bolton¹. The process moves people off legacy benefits and onto Universal Credit¹. The Department for Work and Pensions has not been reported as giving a figure for how many households will be moved in the pilot phase.

Under managed migration, a legacy benefit ends and the person is invited to claim Universal Credit¹. The timetable records the pilot expanding during 2022: to Falmouth and Truro in July, to the London Borough of Harrow in August, and to Northumberland in September¹. No further expansion dates beyond September 2022 appear in the timetable.

The restart sits alongside other changes to working age benefits during 2022. From 5 February 2022, new claimants of Universal Credit and Jobseeker's Allowance had the period in which they could restrict their job search to fields in which they had previous experience cut from 13 weeks to 4 weeks, after which they are expected to apply for any job¹. From 15 February 2022, people with a terminal illness are exempt from the requirement to accept a claimant commitment for Universal Credit¹. On 26 September 2022 the Administrative Earnings Threshold rose to £494 per month for single people and £782 per month for couples¹.

Separately, cost of living payments were made to people on means-tested benefits during 2022. From 14 July, first payments of £326 went to people in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit, income-related ESA, income-based JSA and Income Support, with Tax Credits recipients paid in September; second payments of £324 followed in November for most of those groups, with Tax Credits-only households likely paid in December¹. A £150 disability cost of living payment was made from 26 September, and a £300 payment to pensioners in December¹.

Why it matters for households

Managed migration affects people claiming legacy benefits, which are the benefits Universal Credit replaces¹. Those moved across receive a migration notice inviting them to claim Universal Credit, and the legacy benefit ends as part of that process¹. The practical effect is a change of claim: entitlement is assessed under Universal Credit rules rather than the legacy rules, and payment arrangements change with it. The timetable does not set out transitional protection arrangements or the notice periods households receive, and these have not been reported here.

The pilot areas named for 2022 were Medway and Bolton from 9 May, then Falmouth and Truro, the London Borough of Harrow and Northumberland later in the year¹. Households outside those areas were not part of the initial phase described in the timetable.

Other 2022 changes affect people already on Universal Credit or Jobseeker's Allowance. The shorter 4 week window for restricting a job search to a previous field applies to new claimants from 5 February 2022, and the timetable states this is not a requirement to get a job within four weeks of claiming¹. The higher Administrative Earnings Threshold from 26 September 2022 changes the point at which claimants with earnings face work-related requirements¹.

What happens next

The timetable lists managed migration expanding to Falmouth and Truro in July 2022, the London Borough of Harrow in August 2022 and Northumberland in September 2022¹. No national rollout date is given in the timetable. The page was last reviewed on 26 September 2023 and notes that information about some changes may be limited and subject to further change¹.

For households receiving a migration notice, the site's guide on what to do if you get a migration notice sets out the steps, and moving to Universal Credit from legacy benefits covers how the move works. General rules on entitlement and payment are in Universal Credit: who can claim and how it works.