Recommendation 35

ESA claimants can move to UC voluntarily before 2028 but would not qualify for transitional protection should their UC entitlement be lower than their legacy benefit income.72 We asked whether it is possible for people to get a reliable estimate of their UC entitlement to allow them to make an informed decision about whether to move voluntarily. The Department highlighted that there are three benefit calculators, run by various groups and all available through the gov.uk website, that people can use to get an estimate of their entitlement under UC.73 It also confirmed, however, that the expected savings from delaying the move of ESA claimants depended on most of those who would be better off on UC not switching voluntarily.74