Full-scale managed migration to Universal Credit started

Full-scale managed migration to Universal Credit started in April 2023, expanding gradually to different areas of Great Britain, according to the Department for Work and Pensions¹. The move forms part of the wider replacement of legacy working-age benefits, including Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, by Universal Credit¹.

The Department for Work and Pensions publishes benefit combination statistics covering 17 benefits, including Universal Credit, Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit, Jobseeker's Allowance, Pension Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance and Carer's Allowance¹. The figures cover February 2013 to March 2026 and apply to England, Scotland and Wales¹. From May 2025 onwards, benefit combination statistics do not include Income Support, since all Income Support claims are within scope of Move to Universal Credit and no claims will remain on Income Support¹.

In March 2026, 24.5 million people claimed some combination of the 17 DWP benefits included in the release, the highest level since the series began in 2013¹. Between February 2013 and February 2020 the number of benefit claimants in Great Britain remained stable at around 20.0 to 21.0 million, peaking at 23.0 million in February 2021 and falling to 22.4 million by February 2022 before rising again¹. Of all claimants, 13.5 million were of State Pension Age in March 2026, an increase of 260,000 (2%) from February 2025; 10.1 million were of Working Age, an increase of 140,000 (1%); and 900,000 were under 16 and in receipt of Disability Living Allowance as a child, a 15% increase¹.

The Department for Work and Pensions said the rise in working age claimants cannot be attributed to the migration itself:

Universal Credit caseloads doubled from 2.7 million in February 2020 to 5.4 million in February 2021, declined slightly to 5.1 million by February 2022 and rose to 7.6 million by March 2026¹. Over the same period the remainder of the working age benefit claiming population fell by 58%, from 4.0 million in February 2020 to 1.7 million in March 2026¹. The total working age benefit claimant population reached 9.3 million in March 2026, above the previous peak of 9.1 million in February 2021¹.

Among working age claimants in England and Wales in March 2026, 48% claimed Universal Credit and no other benefit, while 33% claimed Universal Credit alongside other benefits¹. The most common combinations were:

Source: Benefit Combination Statistics to March 2026, Stat-Xplore¹

In England and Wales there were 22.7 million claimants, including unknown and abroad cases: 12.4 million of State Pension Age, 30% of whom claimed more than one benefit; 9.3 million of Working Age, 36% of whom claimed more than one benefit; and 900,000 under 16¹. In Scotland there were 1.8 million claimants: 1.1 million of State Pension Age, 18% of whom claimed more than one benefit; 800,000 of Working Age, 10% of whom claimed more than one benefit; and fewer than 100 under 16¹. Scottish figures are affected by the devolution of some benefits to Social Security Scotland, and devolved benefits such as Child Disability Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance, Carer's Allowance Supplement, Carer Support Payment and Pension Age Disability Payment are not included in the release¹.

Why it matters for households

Managed migration moves people claiming legacy benefits onto Universal Credit, and the statistics show how far that shift has gone: Universal Credit caseloads reached 7.6 million by March 2026 while the rest of the working age benefit population fell to 1.7 million¹. For anyone still on legacy benefits such as Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Housing Benefit, the change affects how help with rent and health-related support are paid, since these are delivered through Universal Credit rather than separately¹. The release notes that Income Support claims are all within scope of Move to Universal Credit, and that from May 2025 the statistics no longer include Income Support¹.

The figures also show how many people claim more than one benefit. In England and Wales, 36% of working age claimants and 30% of State Pension Age claimants received more than one benefit in March 2026¹. For those moving across, the migration notice sets out the deadline for claiming, and the claim date can affect the first payment for people who work. People who need money before their first Universal Credit payment can ask for an advance, which is then repaid from later awards¹.

What happens next

The release records further changes to devolved disability and carer benefits. From March 2026, among other changes to Carer Support Payment, the Scottish Government will introduce a Carer Additional Person Payment, an additional payment to someone caring for more than one person in receipt of a qualifying benefit, and will replace Carer's Allowance Supplement with Scottish Carer Supplement¹. New legislation introduced in November 2025 provides for an extension of entitlement to DWP benefits, commonly referred to as a run-on period, of up to 13 weeks for Personal Independence Payment and 13 weeks and 6 days for Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance from the date of move¹. Maternity Allowance statistics were suspended from the quarterly statistics release on 13 August 2024 until data can be extracted from the new system¹.