Residents in Newcastle who have been contacted by the DWP regarding their legacy benefits are being encouraged to make their Universal Credit claim within the specified time.
Recipients of legacy benefits that are being discontinued by the Department for Work and Pensions will be invited to transfer to Universal Credit to ensure they continue to receive the benefits they are entitled to.
Newcastle City Council is urging residents who receive Tax Credits, Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), Income-Related Employment Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, or Housing Benefit, who have received a ‘migration notice’ from the DWP, which began to be sent out earlier this year, to submit their applications when they receive their invite from the DWP, and to seek advice on claiming if they are unsure of how to make a claim.
Anyone who receives such a letter has three months from the invite being issued to submit their Universal Credit claim before their previous legacy benefit payments cease.
Cllr Adam Walker, Newcastle City Council Cabinet Member for a Healthy, Caring City, said: “We are keen that nobody misses out on financial support that they need and are entitled to, and would urge residents who have been sent a DWP migration notice to make sure they apply for Universal Credit within the three-month period.
“These letters have been sent out to residents in Newcastle since the beginning of the year, and are continuing to land on doorsteps. What we don’t want to see is people seeing their payments suddenly stop, so it is vitally important to follow the process and to claim Universal Credit.
“This process will continue into late 2025 and if you haven’t received a letter you don’t need to take any action just yet, but we are keen that no resident is thrown into difficulty by missing this important deadline.”
More information on the move to Universal Credit and where to seek support is provided on the council’s website.