DWP confirms end of Housing Benefit and ESA as Universal Credit rollout reaches major milestone
The DWP has confirmed Housing Benefit and income-related ESA have ended for most working-age claimants as the rollout of Universal Credit reaches its final stage across the UK.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed that two long-standing benefits have officially come to an end for most working-age claimants as the UK's transition to Universal Credit reaches a major milestone.
The latest phase of the government's welfare reforms means income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Housing Benefit have now closed for the majority of working-age households. Claimants have been moved onto Universal Credit as part of the DWP's long-running "managed migration" programme.
According to the DWP, almost two million people have now successfully transferred from the six legacy benefits to Universal Credit. The migration programme, which began in 2023, has now reached its final stage, bringing an end to most claims for the older benefits.
The six legacy benefits replaced by Universal Credit are:
- Housing Benefit
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
- Working Tax Credit
- Child Tax Credit
Work and Pensions Minister Sir Stephen Timms described the completion of the migration programme as a "major milestone", saying extensive support had been provided to help vulnerable claimants move to the new system, including home visits, specialist advisers and additional assistance where needed.
Housing Benefit will continue for some groups, including many pensioners and people living in temporary accommodation, but it has closed for most working-age claimants. The DWP says Universal Credit is designed to simplify the benefits system by combining several payments into one monthly benefit.
While the government says the transition has been successful, some charities have warned that vulnerable claimants risk losing income if they fail to respond to migration notices or miss application deadlines. Campaigners continue to call for additional safeguards to ensure nobody is left without financial support during the changeover.
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