Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 29
29
Rejected
Department provides transitional protection to 330,000 migrating households to avoid Universal Credit detriment.
Conclusion
The Department provides financial support to claimants it moves under the managed migration process, known as ‘transitional protection’, to make sure they are not worse off on UC at the point of moving than they were on legacy benefits. The Department calculates a claimant’s UC entitlement and then adds a top-up amount (called the ‘transitional element’) equivalent to the difference between this entitlement and the value of the legacy benefits being replaced. The Department expects to provide over 330,000 (38%) of the households it moves to UC through the current migration process with transitional protection, at an estimated cost of £1.2 billion up to the end of March 2027.61
Government Response Summary
The government disagrees with the implied recommendation, stating the Universal Credit Migration Notice has been rigorously tested and that feedback suggests claimants prefer the notice to focus on required actions rather than other messages.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
6.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 6.2 The Universal Credit Migration Notice has been rigorously tested by researchers and designers and has been proven to be effective in live running. 6.3 Feedback from claimants is that they want the Migration Notice to focus on what they need to do and not be used as a vehicle for conveying other messages. 6.4 The department has produced a detailed technical guide for Advisors and is currently considering what other information might be provided more generally.