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4 Critical UK Benefits Ending By April 2026: DWP Confirms Final Deadline For Claimants

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed a definitive timeline for the complete phase-out of several long-running "legacy benefits," with two major schemes officially ending by April 2026. This news, which has circulated widely in December 2025, is not a sudden cut but the final stage of the government's decade-long welfare reform, known as the managed migration to Universal Credit (UC). Claimants currently receiving these older benefits must take urgent action to avoid a sudden loss of income, as the DWP is accelerating the process to meet its March 2026 deadline for the full transition.

The transition is a massive undertaking designed to simplify the UK's benefits system, moving millions of people from six different legacy benefits onto the single, unified Universal Credit payment. While the move is mandatory for most, claimants need to understand the exact benefits being scrapped and the critical steps they must take upon receiving their Migration Notice to ensure their payments continue seamlessly.

The Definitive List of UK Benefits Being Scrapped by March 2026

The DWP's managed migration process is the mechanism by which six specific legacy benefits are being phased out and replaced by Universal Credit. The official completion date for this entire transition is set for March 2026. However, two benefits have a specific, hard deadline for new claims and existing claims to stop shortly thereafter.

The six legacy benefits being closed are:

  • Income Support (IS)
  • Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Housing Benefit (HB)
  • Working Tax Credit (WTC)
  • Child Tax Credit (CTC)

1. Income Support (IS) and Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)

These two benefits are on the fastest track to closure. The DWP has explicitly confirmed that both Income Support and Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance will be officially scrapped from April 1, 2026. After this date, no existing claims will be valid, and all recipients must have transitioned to Universal Credit.

  • What is happening: The benefits are being replaced entirely by Universal Credit.
  • The Critical Deadline: April 1, 2026.
  • Claimant Action: If you are still on IS or JSA, you will receive a Migration Notice letter from the DWP. You must respond to this notice and make a claim for Universal Credit within the specified period (usually three months) to continue receiving financial support.

2. Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Income-related ESA is another major legacy benefit being moved to Universal Credit. The managed migration of ESA claimants is a complex, multi-year process due to the nature of the support provided. While the overall process is set to finish by March 2026, many claimants are receiving their Migration Notices throughout 2025 and 2026.

  • Key Change: From April 2026, there are also planned changes to how the Universal Credit system treats new claimants who receive the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) element.

3. Housing Benefit (HB)

Housing Benefit, which helps people on a low income pay their rent, is also part of the managed migration. The housing cost element is integrated directly into the monthly Universal Credit payment.

  • Future Consolidation: It is also expected that Housing Benefit and Pension Credit will be brought together at some point during 2026, further simplifying the system for older claimants.

Understanding the Managed Migration Process and Your Money

The term "benefits ending" is misleading, as the financial support is not disappearing; it is simply being delivered through a new system. The primary goal of the managed migration is to ensure that claimants are moved from the old system to Universal Credit with Transitional Protection.

What is Transitional Protection?

Transitional Protection is a non-taxable top-up payment designed to ensure that claimants who would receive less money on Universal Credit than they currently receive on their legacy benefits do not lose out financially at the point of migration. This protection gradually erodes over time as Universal Credit rates increase or as a claimant's circumstances change.

  • Crucial Warning: You will only receive this protection if you are moved under the DWP's managed migration process and claim Universal Credit within the deadline on your Migration Notice. If you decide to make a voluntary claim for Universal Credit before you are notified, you will not be eligible for Transitional Protection.

What Happens When You Get a Migration Notice?

The DWP is sending out Migration Notices in batches, targeting specific groups of claimants. This letter is your official instruction to move to Universal Credit. You must act on it.

  1. Receive the Notice: The letter will clearly state the deadline, which is typically three months from the date the notice was issued.
  2. Claim Universal Credit: You must make a new claim for Universal Credit online. The DWP will provide details on how to do this.
  3. Provide Information: You will need to provide up-to-date information about your income, savings, housing costs, and health status.
  4. Final Payment: Your old legacy benefit payments will stop, and your new Universal Credit payments will begin, including any applicable Transitional Protection.

Other Major DWP and Benefit Changes Confirmed for 2026

Beyond the closure of legacy benefits, the DWP has confirmed other significant changes that will affect millions of households in 2026, primarily through the annual uprating process.

Benefit Uprating for 2026/2027

Most DWP benefits, including Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), are scheduled to increase in April 2026. This annual rise is typically based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rate of inflation from the previous September.

  • Expected Rise: Many benefits are projected to increase by a certain percentage, such as 3.8%, aligning with the CPI rate.
  • Affected Benefits: PIP, DLA, Carer's Allowance, Attendance Allowance, and the basic State Pension are among those seeing an increase.

State Pension and Disability Payments

Disability and health-related benefits like PIP, DLA, and ESA will see an uprating in April 2026. The DWP continues to review the structure of disability benefits, but the confirmed change for 2026 is the annual increase in payment rates.

The DWP's plan to complete the managed migration by March 2026 is a hard deadline. While the news of benefits "ending" is a sensational headline, the reality is a significant, mandatory administrative change. Claimants of Income Support, Jobseeker's Allowance, and other legacy benefits must pay close attention to all official DWP correspondence to ensure a smooth transition to Universal Credit and to secure their Transitional Protection.

4 Critical UK Benefits Ending by April 2026: DWP Confirms Final Deadline for Claimants
dwp confirms uk benefits ending next year
dwp confirms uk benefits ending next year

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