At present no-one is being forced to claim Universal Credit instead of another benefit they are already getting, although the government do plan to do this in future. A trial is planned in the Harrogate area in Yorkshire from July 2019 but the government do not plan to roll this out to the rest of the country until 2020. This is called the ‘managed migration’.
However, if you have a change of circumstances that means you need to make a new claim for benefits due to a lack of income and savings, whether or not you claimed any benefits before, and you have not yet reached your state retirement age, then you are likely to need to claim Universal Credit instead. This is called the ‘natural migration’.
There are a few exceptions:
Housing Benefit: If you move address but are still able to claim Housing Benefit from the same Local Authority/Council, you only need to report a change of circumstances to that Local Authority/Council rather than make a new claim for benefit. If you move across a council border however you will normally need to claim Universal Credit for help with your new rent.
Pensioners: You cannot claim Universal Credit if you have reached your state retirement age. However, if you are part of a couple and your partner has not reached their state retirement age yet then you will still have to claim Universal Credit.
Severe Disability Premium: You should not claim Universal Credit if you currently receive a ‘Severe Disability Premium’ on a current benefit claim, or have done so within the last month. This is an extra £64.30 per week which forms part of a wider benefit award for people who receive a disability benefit related to their care needs, do not have someone who cares for them while claiming Carer’s Allowance and does not live with anyone else except children or other disabled people. This is because there is currently no equivalent amount on Universal Credit meaning most people end up worse off by claiming Universal Credit. People this applies to have to still claim the appropriate benefits Universal Credit replaces instead.
Many people miss out on the Severe Disability Premium because they do not realise they should qualify. Contact us for advice if you think it should apply to you.
Tax Credits claimants: If you are entitled to either Child or Working Tax Credits and your situation changes such that you should qualify for the other, then you should report this as a change of circumstances to the Tax Credit office at HMRC instead of claiming Universal Credit. For example, if you claim Working Tax Credit and you give birth to or adopt a child, you can still get Child Tax Credits added on to your claim. If you start work and already get Child Tax Credits, you can get Working Tax Credits added on to your claim, including help with childcare costs. However, if your Tax Credits ends due to a relationship with a partner starting or ending, then you cannot make a new claim for Tax Credits and will have to consider claiming Universal Credit instead.
For further advice on any of this please contact our Customer Services Team on 0300 123 5544 and ask for our Benefits Advice team.
