Recommendation 6

The Department has not explained clearly how transitional protection works so benefit claimants, and the organisations that advise them, do not fully understand how amounts are calculated. The Department provides ‘transitional protection’ designed to ensure people are not worse off on Universal Credit at the point of moving. It tops up a claimant’s Universal Credit entitlement where it is lower than the legacy benefit being replaced. However, organisations who work with benefit claimants are concerned about transitional protection, in particular about how the Department calculates amounts that are due, how accurate its calculations are, and the risk that people are receiving incorrect payments which they cannot check themselves. The Department acknowledges that transitional protection is complex and difficult to explain. It has produced a guide for stakeholders and wants to turn that into something that is more understandable for people who are not welfare advice experts. Recommendation 6: The Department should explain better in its guidance and the migration notices it sends to claimants how transitional protection is calculated, using simple language and examples based on real cases.