**Thousands of Benefits Claimants See Payments Cut Amidst DWP’s Universal Credit Switch**
A significant number of benefit claimants in the UK have recently experienced reductions in their payments, as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) pushes forward with its wide-ranging benefits overhaul. This comes as part of the government’s ongoing ‘managed migration’ programme, which is designed to move recipients of older ‘legacy’ benefits onto Universal Credit (UC), the newer, consolidated support scheme. The process, intended to streamline the welfare system, has nonetheless raised concerns among claimants and support workers, particularly amid reports of payment delays and administrative hitches.
Currently, it is estimated that around 24 million people in the UK rely on some form of financial support from the DWP. The ongoing shift represents one of the largest welfare changes in recent history, with claimants receiving formal notification – known as ‘migration notices’ – instructing them that their existing benefits will be terminated and that they must initiate a new claim for Universal Credit.
Universal Credit is now set to replace six major benefits: Income Support, Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, and income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). Already, the two types of tax credits were abolished in April 2025, following an initial drive to encourage all recipients to move to the new system by that deadline.
Despite these ambitious plans, many of those who have yet to transition are claimants of income-related ESA. Many in this group face additional challenges, as they are often in the ‘support group’ – unable to work due to serious health issues or disabilities. Their circumstances mean they may be particularly vulnerable to disruption, needing extra assistance to avoid being left without financial support during the changeover.
The DWP has announced it aims to have distributed all necessary migration notices to ESA claimants by December. This timeline is meant to ensure a smooth transition before the end of the current financial year, wrapping up the migration process by April 2026. For those with long-term sickness or disability, the expectation is that they will be assigned to an equivalent group under Universal Credit with ongoing provision matching their needs.
However, recent reports have highlighted significant difficulties. Concern has grown after it emerged that some claimants were receiving reduced Universal Credit payments, a problem attributed to delays in verifying their identity and financial background. According to benefits advisers, these verification lags meant some people’s first Universal Credit payments accounted only for data that had been confirmed at the time, resulting in gaps in support.
DWP officials have acknowledged these shortfalls but state that measures are now in place to resolve system teething problems. Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disability, confirmed that automation has been enhanced and additional resources deployed to speed up identity verification and rectify incomplete payments. “The department has identified a small number of cases where the payments due have not all been paid in full in the first assessment period, due to delays in the process,” he stated, assuring that the situation is being closely monitored.
The department says it has also reduced the need for claimants to attend in-person appointments or wait for home visits, a move intended to make the transition less onerous, especially for vulnerable groups. Despite these adaptations, advocacy groups stress the importance of ongoing vigilance and support to ensure no one falls through the gaps during the mass migration onto Universal Credit.
In a society where many rely on timely welfare payments for basic needs, the complexities of moving millions of people to a new system are bound to bring challenges. As the DWP works towards its migration deadline, both authorities and support organisations will be under pressure to ensure that no eligible claimant is inadvertently left worse off by the sweeping changes. The coming months will prove critical in determining just how effective these interventions have been, and whether final implementation matches the government’s assurances.