Universal Credit migration deadlines can now be set to match the date a legacy benefit is switched off, under regulations taking effect on 29 January 2026. Laid before Parliament on 8 January and applying across England, Scotland and Wales, the change was signed by Minister of State Stephen Timms. For claimants from Teesside to Tyneside and across the Pennines, it is meant to reduce last‑minute confusion when letters land close to a cut‑off. ([statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk](Link

The instrument amends regulation 44 of the Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2014 so that when a migration notice is issued to someone on income‑based JSA, income‑related ESA, Income Support or Housing Benefit only, and their usual three‑month deadline would fall after the ‘appointed day’ for abolishing that award, the Department for Work and Pensions can set the deadline as that appointed day. In short, the deadline can be the switch‑off date. ([legislation.gov.uk](Link

Why does the ‘appointed day’ matter in practice? The Government’s Commencement No. 35 Order sets 1 April 2026 as the final date to abolish any remaining awards of Income Support and income‑based Jobseeker’s Allowance, with separate provisions for Housing Benefit when working‑age claimants move on from temporary or specified accommodation on or after 14 November 2025. Aligning deadlines with these dates helps lock in the right protections. ([legislation.gov.uk](Link

There’s also a fix for a small but important group who fell through the cracks. A new regulation 63A allows DWP to treat certain people as if they were still entitled to the relevant legacy benefits in the month before their Universal Credit award, where an earlier UC claim failed only because identity could not be verified and they reclaimed within a month when invited. That preserves the link to disability‑related premiums and the transitional amounts that go with them. ([statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk](Link

For households here in the North, the practical message is straightforward: claim by your deadline to secure transitional protection. Make the claim within one month after your deadline and it can still be treated as on time; claim later and the safety‑net top‑up is lost. You cannot get transitional protection if you move to UC before the migration letter arrives. ([england.shelter.org.uk](Link

Where legacy awards end because of a UC claim or a missed deadline, Income Support, income‑based JSA and income‑related ESA continue for two weeks to cushion the move. That short ‘run‑on’ remains in place alongside the new deadline rule and should help avoid immediate gaps in cashflow for households managing rent, food and energy costs. ([legislation.gov.uk](Link

Councils from Newcastle to Oldham will feel this on their Housing Benefit desks. Awards must be closed in line with the appointed days, while people in supported or temporary accommodation continue to receive Housing Benefit rather than UC housing costs. When a tenant moves out of that accommodation, the 2025 order triggers the end of HB and UC takes the strain. Front‑door advice and clear letters matter here. ([gov.uk](Link

The scale explains the urgency. By August 2024 there were 5.93 million households on Universal Credit and around 860,000 still on legacy benefits. The DWP plans to complete managed migration and close the remaining legacy awards by March 2026, with enhanced support for ESA and Income Support claimants who need extra help to claim. ([commonslibrary.parliament.uk](Link

Charities warn that the process still needs careful handling. As Child Poverty Action Group puts it, in the worst case “a family could be left without any income at all” if safeguards fail or deadlines are missed. That risk is exactly what aligning the deadline to the switch‑off date is intended to reduce. ([cpag.org.uk](Link

If a migration letter arrives, keep it, gather ID documents and act quickly. The DWP migration helpline is 0800 169 0328 and Citizens Advice’s Help to Claim can assist. Note that these Great Britain regulations do not extend to Northern Ireland, which has its own UC rules and guidance. ([gov.uk](Link