17 per cent of individuals sent a migration notice up to May 2025 failed to make a claim to universal credit and had their legacy benefits closed

New DWP statistics also confirm that, as at September 2025, the majority of migration notices had been issued
17 per cent of individuals sent a migration notice up to May 2025 failed to make a claim to universal credit and had their legacy benefits closed, according to new DWP statistics.
In its latest Move to Universal Credit statistics, the DWP confirms that, as of the end of September 2025, the majority of legacy benefit claimants (2.3 million individuals in 1.8 million households) had been sent migration notices and that, of these –
17 per cent of individuals (15 per cent of households), where the migration notice was sent by the end of May 2025, failed to make a claim to universal credit and their legacy benefits were closed; and
53 per cent of households were awarded transitional protection.
However, more detailed analysis of the employment and support allowance (ESA) cohort sent migration notices between July 2024 and May 2025 reveals that –
3 per cent failed to make a claim and had their legacy benefits stopped, although this doubled to 6 per cent where the individual was claiming ESA without any other legacy benefits;
75 per cent required help to claim, but this rose to 85 per cent where they were in receipt of ESA and housing benefit only, and 86 per cent where they were in receipt of ESA only;
51 per cent needed more than one reminder sent (NB – the DWP highlights its qualitative research which found that while some claimants appreciated the reminder, there were some with mental health conditions or caring responsibilities who found the urgency of the reminders distressing); and
39 per cent were put on the ‘enhanced support journey’, and of these, 21 per cent were referred to the complex coach team.
In relation to universal credit claimants more generally, the DWP statistics highlight that there are now 8.3 million people on universal credit – the highest level since it was introduced in 2013. In addition, the figures show that, as migration nears its end and the ESA cohort move over, almost half (49 per cent) of the caseload now has no work requirements –
https://www.gov.uk/…/move-to-universal-credit-july-2022…
https://www.gov.uk/…/completing-the-move-to-universal…