Do I need to claim Universal Credit?
If you are already claiming any of the benefits that Universal Credit replaces, you can carry on getting your benefits. If you have any change of circumstances that means your existing claims for these benefits ends, you won’t be able to make new claims for any of the benefits Universal Credit replaces.
No one has to make a claim for Universal Credit. However, you might find that a change of circumstances means you need help that is now provided through Universal Credit.
If you have had a change of circumstances, you should speak to an adviser to find out whether this means you should make a claim for Universal Credit.
In the future, everyone will be moved on to Universal Credit through a process called managed migration. At the moment, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) plans to complete managed migration by the end of 2024.
Reviewed: August 2021