Migration to UC from Legacy Benefits any updated timescales at all ?

Spicedpumpkin

Is there any approx date for UC migration at all for my relevant circumstances please ?

My partner is of retirement age, has state pension in place now.

We are a mixed age couple as I am younger. We are still on legacy benefits. I get ESA and a MIXED amount of Income related and Contributions based and I am in the support group.

Also we get Housing Benefit.

Just trying to prepare in advance. Thanks

Robbie64

As far as I am aware, it could be anytime between now and December 2025. The original timescale had been 2028 for ESA claimants (with or without HB in payment) but this was brought forward to 2025 by the last Government and Labour don't appear to have halted this. The intention was to migrate ESA claimants who aren't on Tax Credits between September 2024 and December 2025 (those on ESA and Tax Credits started to be migrated earlier this year). There are about 800,000 claimants in this position (including yourself and myself) so it's literally a situation where one day in the next 15 months you will receive a migration notice.

Spicedpumpkin

Robbie64 said:

As far as I am aware, it could be anytime between now and December 2025. The original timescale had been 2028 for ESA claimants (with or without HB in payment) but this was brought forward to 2025 by the last Government and Labour don't appear to have halted this. The intention was to migrate ESA claimants who aren't on Tax Credits between September 2024 and December 2025 (those on ESA and Tax Credits started to be migrated earlier this year). There are about 800,000 claimants in this position (including yourself and myself) so it's literally a situation where one day in the next 15 months you will receive a migration notice.

Many thanks for the detailed reply. 
It certainly is a waiting game .....I wish it was a bit more specific really for everyone....and I had hoped not till 2028.

Newcad

Managed Migration is now 'live' for all legacy benefits as of this month (September 2024), including IR ESA which has been brought forward from the previously stated 2008 start date..

I am not aware that being a MAC is any exclusion to this.

So you could receive your Managed Migration notice at any time from now, or not until sometime next year.

If/when you do receive the notice then the usual Managed Migration rules will apply, there are a few specific provisions for MAC's, (in particular with regard to HB and if you have been claiming HB as a MAC since May 2019).:

See: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-if-youre-a-mixed-age-couple-and-get-migration-notice-letters#full-publication-update-history

If you have any specific questions about Managed Migration then please ask and we will be able to clarify them.

Spicedpumpkin

Newcad said:

Managed Migration is now 'live' for all legacy benefits as of this month (September 2024), including IR ESA which has been brought forward from the previously stated 2008 start date..

I am not aware that being a MAC is any exclusion to this.

So you could receive your Managed Migration notice at any time from now, or not until sometime next year.

If/when you do receive the notice then the usual Managed Migration rules will apply, there are a few specific provisions for MAC's, (in particular with regard to HB and if you have been claiming HB as a MAC since May 2019).:

See: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-if-youre-a-mixed-age-couple-and-get-migration-notice-letters#full-publication-update-history

If you have any specific questions about Managed Migration then please ask and we will be able to clarify them.

Many thanks for the reply and link, I have saved that for future reference

I think like a lot of people I don't like change/unknown. Earlier this year I had to do a lot of benefit changeover from CB ESA to mixed IR ESA and CB ESA before my partner became SP age, (with poppy's help) to maximise our income after his SP age but it was highly stressful and very slow and had to get my MP involved to hurry along the HB payments etc. I know this is UC but I just hope this goes smoother.

Thanks again

Newcad

I can relate my own migration from ESA (WRAG) to UC LCW a couple of years ago.

That wasn't a Managed Migration, I just decided that it was the right time for me to switch myself so claimed UC off my own bat. (A Voluntary Migration).
DON'T do that yourself in your circumstances - wait for your Managed Migration notice.

Everything went quite smoothly, with a few small bumps which I knew would happen.
I couldn't verify my ID online so had to go to a Jobcentre to do that, 5 or 10 miinutes job done.
The UC journal babbled on about Fit Notes and a WCA, but I knew that was not needed and was just the UC computer not being up to date yet with info from ESA.
ESA status was transferred with no need for either, Housing benefit transferred smoothly (and I got the 2-week run-on for both with no problem).

There was one thing that didn't seem to have been done; I was paying back a budgeting loan from ESA and the repayments for that didn't seem to have been moved to UC. but they were taken in the second month it had just taken a bit longer for UC to start taking them again.

Spicedpumpkin

Newcad said:

I can relate my own migration from ESA (WRAG) to UC LCW a couple of years ago.

That wasn't a Managed Migration, I just decided that it was the right time for me to switch myself so claimed UC off my own bat. (A Voluntary Migration).
DON'T do that yourself in your circumstances - wait for your Managed Migration notice.

Everything went quite smoothly, with a few small bumps which I knew would happen.
I couldn't verify my ID online so had to go to a Jobcentre to do that, 5 or 10 miinutes job done.
The UC journal babbled on about Fit Notes and a WCA, but I knew that was not needed and was just the UC computer not being up to date yet with info from ESA.
ESA status was transferred with no need for either, Housing benefit transferred smoothly (and I got the 2-week run-on for both with no problem).

There was one thing that didn't seem to have been done; I was paying back a budgeting loan from ESA and the repayments for that didn't seem to have been moved to UC. but they were taken in the second month it had just taken a bit longer for UC to start taking them again.

Thanks for the incite into your change over

I will not change till I have a managed migration or change of circumstances if we move for example

With Poppys and others info earlier this year we are a lot better off on our legacy benefits with all the premiums than UC due to our mixed age couple and other circumstances. 

Thanks again

HillStreetBlues

It has now been officially confirmed that it will start this month.
Last week it was TBC

Today it's from Sep 24

https://ucmove.campaign.gov.uk/universal-credit/when-you-need-to-apply-universal-credit/

Spoonie_Turtle

That table doesn't specify ir-ESA when it's by itself.

Obviously I know it's not going to be those who don't claim the income-based top-up, but for people who trust web pages like that over anonymous people on a forum, does anyone have anything official to say that people claiming purely cb-ESA won't be told to migrate?

HillStreetBlues

Spoonie_Turtle said:

That table doesn't specify ir-ESA when it's by itself.

Obviously I know it's not going to be those who don't claim the income-based top-up, but for people who trust web pages like that over anonymous people on a forum, does anyone have anything official to say that people claiming purely cb-ESA won't be told to migrate?

Unless I'm misunderstanding it's in the link

Spoonie_Turtle

HillStreetBlues said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

That table doesn't specify ir-ESA when it's by itself.

Obviously I know it's not going to be those who don't claim the income-based top-up, but for people who trust web pages like that over anonymous people on a forum, does anyone have anything official to say that people claiming purely cb-ESA won't be told to migrate?

Unless I'm misunderstanding it's in the link

Thank you, I didn't look at the link just the tables quoted here - my mistake!