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5 Major UK Benefits Confirmed To End Next Year: The DWP’s Crucial 2025 Migration Deadline You Must Know

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has officially confirmed that several long-running UK benefits are being phased out, with crucial deadlines set for the coming year, leading to headlines that suggest benefits are "ending." This is not a total removal of support, but rather a final push in the monumental task of moving millions of claimants from the old "legacy" system onto the modern, single payment known as Universal Credit (UC). As of today, December 19, 2025, the DWP’s Managed Migration process is accelerating, meaning claimants on certain older benefits will soon receive a 'Migration Notice' letter that gives them a strict deadline to apply for Universal Credit or risk losing all financial support.

The transition, which affects millions of households across the UK, is one of the most significant welfare reforms in decades. The core of the change is the complete replacement of six legacy benefits with Universal Credit. Claimants are urged to understand their personal deadline, particularly those receiving Tax Credits, as their final cut-off date is imminent. If you are currently receiving any of the benefits listed below, immediate action is required upon receiving your official DWP letter.

The Complete List of UK Legacy Benefits Being Phased Out by 2026

The process of transferring claimants from older benefits to Universal Credit is known as "Managed Migration." The DWP has set a target for the full phase-out of most legacy benefits by the end of the 2025/2026 financial year. The following five benefits are the primary focus of this final migration push, with claimants receiving specific deadline notices.

  • Working Tax Credit (WTC)
  • Child Tax Credit (CTC)
  • Income Support (IS)
  • Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

It is important to note that Housing Benefit is also a legacy benefit being replaced by Universal Credit, although its migration timetable may differ slightly for certain groups.

1. Tax Credits (Working Tax Credit & Child Tax Credit): The Imminent 2025 Deadline

The most immediate and widespread change concerns Tax Credits. The DWP has confirmed that both Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit will be completely ended by April 5, 2025. This is a hard deadline, and claimants should already have received a Migration Notice letter instructing them to apply for Universal Credit.

What You Need to Know:

  • The End Date: April 5, 2025.
  • The Action: You must apply for Universal Credit before the deadline specified in your Migration Notice. For Tax Credit claimants, this deadline should have been no later than April 6, 2025.
  • The Risk: If you fail to apply for Universal Credit by your deadline, your Tax Credit payments will stop entirely.
  • The Protection: Claimants who move to UC under the Managed Migration process may be eligible for 'Transitional Protection' payments. This ensures your initial Universal Credit payment is not less than the amount you were receiving from your legacy benefits, provided you apply within the required timeframe.

2. Income Support and Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

These two benefits are also on the fast track to being completely phased out. The DWP's plan is for Income Support and income-based Jobseeker's Allowance to be fully replaced by Universal Credit by April 1, 2026. This means the department is actively sending out Migration Notices to claimants currently receiving these payments.

The move is designed to simplify the welfare system, consolidating complex rules into the single, digital-first Universal Credit payment. Claimants of JSA and Income Support must heed their Migration Notice, as it triggers the three-month window they have to make a new claim for UC.

3. Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA): The November 2025 Focus

The migration of claimants receiving income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is a more complex undertaking due to the nature of the support. However, the DWP has confirmed that the managed migration of around 800,000 claimants of income-related ESA is well underway.

For a significant portion of ESA claimants, the deadline to claim Universal Credit is set for November 2025. For example, some claimants have been advised they must claim by November 23, 2025, to ensure the continuity of their financial support.

Crucial Distinction: It is only the income-related version of ESA that is being phased out and replaced by UC. Contribution-based ESA is a separate benefit and is not part of the Managed Migration to Universal Credit. Claimants are strongly advised to check their letters carefully to determine which type of ESA they receive.

Understanding Your DWP Migration Notice and Avoiding a Payment Cut

The single most critical piece of advice for anyone on a legacy benefit is to treat the Migration Notice letter from the DWP with urgency. This letter is not a general warning; it is a direct instruction that starts a three-month countdown.

The Three-Month Countdown:

Once you receive your Migration Notice, you have a limited time to make a new claim for Universal Credit. If you miss the three-month deadline, the DWP will send a final reminder. If you still do not apply within the extension period (usually one month), your old benefit payments will stop automatically.

Why Claiming On Time is Essential: Transitional Protection

The primary reason to claim Universal Credit within the deadline is to secure Transitional Protection. This is a top-up payment designed to ensure that if the amount you are entitled to on Universal Credit is less than your previous legacy benefits, your income will be maintained at the higher level. This protection is only available to those who move under the Managed Migration process and apply on time. If you choose to move voluntarily (known as 'natural migration') before receiving your letter, you will forfeit this protection.

Beyond the Phase-Out: Other Major DWP Changes in 2025

While the phasing out of legacy benefits is the biggest structural change, the DWP is also implementing other significant updates that will affect millions of claimants in the coming year.

Benefit Uprating and Disability Support Increases

The DWP has confirmed that most benefits, including Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), will see an increase in the 2025/2026 financial year, in line with the government's commitment to uprating payments. These increases are typically applied automatically from April each year, meaning claimants do not need to contact the DWP to receive the higher rates.

The End of Cost of Living Payments

A key change that has already occurred is the end of the Cost of Living Payments. These payments, which provided a significant financial boost to low-income households during the cost of living crisis, have concluded. Claimants should no longer expect to receive these specific lump sums in the next financial year.

Scotland's Benefit Devolution: New Payments Replacing DWP Benefits

In Scotland, the transition is slightly different due to the devolution of certain welfare powers to Social Security Scotland (SSS). In 2025, SSS is expected to replace the DWP's Attendance Allowance (AA) with a new benefit called the Pension Age Disability Payment. This is a replacement, not an ending of support, and is part of a wider effort to localize and improve disability support north of the border.

The DWP's confirmation that these benefits are 'ending' is a clear signal that the transition period is closing. Claimants must be proactive, open their official DWP post immediately, and act on their Migration Notice to ensure a smooth transition to Universal Credit and to avoid any gap in their essential financial support. The clock is ticking, particularly for those on Tax Credits, where the deadline is now just months away.

5 Major UK Benefits Confirmed to End Next Year: The DWP’s Crucial 2025 Migration Deadline You Must Know
dwp confirms uk benefits ending next year
dwp confirms uk benefits ending next year

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