The regulation to enact managed migration will come before Parliament this autumn and are subject to parliamentary approval. We will only begin migrating people onto Universal Credit at volume after a careful and robust period of testing, with up to 10,000 being migrated in the test phase. We take seriously the need to support vulnerable claimants moving to Universal Credit; we will work with stakeholders and organisations to understand the best way to support all of our customers to move to Universal Credit. Through a safe and gradual start for Managed Migration, we will be able to determine the best way to support everyone to successfully move to Universal Credit.<\/p>
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In our high-level design for managed migration, there is a comprehensive preparation period for claimants, which will last between four to six months. During this time, claimants will receive initial communications to alert them to the fact their legacy benefits will be ending and that they need to make a claim for Universal Credit. These communications will also outline the additional support available to help them to make their claim.<\/p>
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After this period, claimants will receive a migration notification which sets out the timescale for them to make their Universal Credit claim. The regulations set out a minimum of one month but there is flexibility to extend this period if it is identified that certain claimants, such as those who are vulnerable or have complex needs, require longer timescales to make their Universal Credit claim. There is no limit on the number of times that a claimant may ask to extend their deadline, providing that they have a good reason for doing so. Each request for an extension will be considered on its own merits<\/p>
During the notification period, claimants who have not already made a Universal Credit claim by a certain point will also be reminded that they will have to make a Universal Credit claim by their deadline. This contact also makes it possible for agents to gauge whether a claimant is having difficulty in making a Universal Credit claim and take action if needed by extending the deadline for the Universal Credit claim to be made or arranging appropriate support to help the claimant complete the migration process.<\/p>
In the event that a claimant fails to make a Universal Credit claim before their deadline, an agent will check for evidence of complex needs or vulnerability before the existing benefits are stopped, to ensure that these claimants are safeguarded.<\/p>
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Anyone who fails to claim by their given deadline, but does so within a month after that deadline, will have their claim backdated and be considered for Transitional Protection if they meet the prescribed criteria.<\/p>
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