**Six Key DWP Benefits Set for Removal Within a Year — Urgent Action Required for Claimants**
Millions of people across the UK face crucial changes to their welfare entitlements as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) accelerates plans to phase out six long-standing benefits. With the government having begun a nationwide shift several years ago from legacy benefits to Universal Credit, the process is now reaching a critical stage. Those receiving the older benefits are being urged to pay attention and respond swiftly if they wish to continue receiving support.
The transformation, known as “managed migration”, is an initiative designed to streamline social security payments and bring recipients onto the Universal Credit system, first introduced back in 2013. While the project has proceeded in phases, the DWP has stepped up efforts this year, issuing migration notices to affected individuals and making it clear that action is now imperative.
Full-scale managed migration officially began in April 2023 and since that time, waves of migration notifications have been sent out to different parts of Great Britain. As the government aims to simplify the benefits system, the migration is seen as both a practical necessity and an administrative challenge, given the scale of the transition and the vulnerability of many recipients.
The six legacy benefits due to be abolished are: child tax credit, working tax credit, income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income support, income-related employment and support allowance (ESA), and housing benefit. These benefits will cease to exist as standalone payments, with current recipients needing to switch to Universal Credit.
Tax credits, in particular, are among the first to be targeted in this latest round of closures. Official information from the DWP indicates that tax credits will end in April 2025. This underscores the urgency for claimants to respond to DWP notifications, as failure to do so may result in an abrupt halt to their payments.
Importantly, those who receive a migration notice will have a three-month window to submit a Universal Credit application. For many, this can feel like a daunting bureaucratic step, especially given the financial uncertainty that can accompany such transitions. The DWP, however, insists it is providing guidance and support to help claimants through the changeover.
The pace of the transition has increased for some groups. Notably, around 800,000 individuals currently receiving income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) either alone or in combination with housing benefit are now being moved over more swiftly than was previously planned. The initial target to migrate this cohort was set for 2028 or 2029, but migration notices began going out in September 2024. The goal is to have notified everyone in this group by December 2025.
The overarching aim is clear: by March 2026, all legacy benefit recipients should have migrated to Universal Credit, enabling the DWP to formally end the operation of the old system. Government officials argue this move will modernise welfare provision and reduce administrative costs, although the process has faced criticism over potential confusion and disruption for vulnerable claimants.
Concerns remain among welfare organisations and campaigners. Some have voiced fears about delays in payment or technical difficulties that have already arisen during earlier phases of managed migration. They have called for clarity, easier access to advice, and safeguards for claimants who could slip through the cracks.
As the managed migration project proceeds into its decisive year, those affected are being urged to carefully check their correspondence, familiarise themselves with the process, and seek help promptly if in doubt. The new chapter in the UK’s welfare provision aims to deliver a simpler, more streamlined system — but making the transition successfully will require prompt action from millions of households nationwide.