Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she publish guidance on what triggers a natural migration to universal credit.

Currently people only move to Universal Credit (UC) because they have had a significant change in their circumstances which would previously have led them to make a new claim to a legacy benefit. It has always been the case that in such circumstances, new claims would be assessed based upon their new circumstances and under the rules of the new benefit.

Claimant circumstances within the legacy system are diverse and interact with a range of benefits in different ways. Eligibility for UC is dependent on individuals’ circumstances, the specific nature of the change and rules for access to legacy benefits.

During oral evidence to the Work and Pensions Select Committee (WPSC) on Wednesday, 1 May 2019, the Minister of State for Employment confirmed that the Department will write to the Committee to provide, a list of examples which may prompt a move to UC after circumstances have changed.