The documents state: “Regulation 8 is designed to prevent any renewal of existing Tax Credit claims or allow a person who is claiming one tax credit (for example Working Tax Credit), to claim the other Tax Credit (Child Tax Credit), and vice versa.
“This will also ensure there are no Tax Credits claims from April 2025.
“Regulation 6A of the Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2014 states that a person cannot make a claim to a Tax Credit.
“However, exceptions are provided in Regulation 6A(6) for existing Tax Credit claimants to claim the other Tax Credit and (7) for existing Tax Credit claimants to apply to renew their awards.
“These exceptions are now removed – so there can be no more claims to a Tax Credit. This regulation does not come into force until 06/04/2025”
Those who claim Tax Credits have to renew claims annually. The next and final renewal for the benefit before it’s discontinued will be this July.
After then, it will no longer be possible to renew your claim. It’s now not possible to make any new claims for Tax Credits.
Work on phasing out legacy benefits has been going on for a few years, and the push restarted after being briefly paused during the Coronavirus pandemic.
When the managed migration was restarted, over 2.5 million people were still claiming old-style legacy benefits, The Mirror reports.
Among the six benefits being scrapped are: Working Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Income Support, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), and Housing Benefit.
The move to Universal Credit is being carried out in stages, and the department is currently focusing on Tax Credits and Housing Benefit claimants.
You will receive a letter with your migration notice when it’s your turn. You will then have three months to make a claim for Universal Credit, and benefit payments will stop for those who don’t.
Your claim can also be made online, or over the phone using the Universal Credit Migration Notice helpline on 0800 169 0328.
You can also ask your local Job Centre. After you have put in your claim, there will be a five week wait until your first Universal Credit payment and unless your circumstances change you will continue to receive it going forward.
