How the transitional element is calculated when you move to Universal Credit
You might receive an additional payment to help you move to Universal Credit, if you receive a Migration Notice letter.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
If you바카라 사이트檝e received a Migration Notice letter and聽have聽been told to move to Universal Credit, you should read聽transitional protection if you received a Migration Notice letter聽first.
What the transitional element is
An element is an additional payment on top of your聽standard allowance聽of Universal Credit.聽Additional payments are to cover the cost of things like caring for someone, having children, or moving from one benefit to another.
The transitional element is an additional payment that바카라 사이트檚 part of聽transitional protection. Transitional protection is available to you if you receive a Migration Notice letter and move to Universal Credit by your deadline date.
How we calculate the transitional element
Your Universal Credit entitlement is assessed every month, based on your current circumstances. This is known as an聽assessment period.
When a claim is made and verified, the transitional element is calculated using聽a Universal Credit amount that바카라 사이트檚 based on your known circumstances from the day before your claim. This amount is referred to as the 바카라 사이트榠ndicative Universal Credit award바카라 사이트�.
At this point, the transitional element is the difference between the indicative Universal Credit award and聽your聽previous legacy benefit amount. It aims to protect your benefit entitlement at the point of moving to Universal Credit.聽
The indicative Universal Credit award, including the transitional element, is an estimation based on your circumstances the day before you make your Universal Credit claim.
Applying the benefit cap
Universal Credit claims are affected by聽the聽benefit cap. The cap is also used in the calculation of the transitional element and applied to the indicative Universal Credit award.聽Some people, such as those of State Pension age,聽will not have their Universal Credit entitlement capped.
Find out more about聽when you바카라 사이트檙e not affected by the benefit cap.
Information we use to calculate the transitional element
The transitional element is calculated using information you give us in your Universal Credit claim and your existing legacy benefits information.
The claim covers details about your circumstances, which includes:
- your聽employment status
- who you live with
- your household income, savings and investments
- if you have children and any childcare costs
- if anyone in your household has a disability or health condition
- if you바카라 사이트檙e a carer
- the benefits you聽get聽now
This information is checked against data from:
- Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)聽benefit systems:聽Income Support, income-based Jobseeker바카라 사이트檚 Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- local聽councils:聽Housing Benefit
- HM Revenue and Customs聽(HMRC):聽Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit
If you바카라 사이트檙e a carer
If you declare yourself as a carer on your Universal Credit claim, even if you do not get Carer바카라 사이트檚 Allowance, your indicative Universal Credit award will include an additional payment. This is known as the carer element.
If you바카라 사이트檙e in a couple
If you live with a partner, their details will also be used to calculate the transitional element. This is because Universal Credit is a household benefit, so you바카라 사이트檒l need to make a joint claim with your partner.聽
We바카라 사이트檒l collect the same information about your partner바카라 사이트檚 circumstances, which is taken from聽their Universal Credit claim. If your partner is claiming any benefits, this will also be checked against existing data.聽
If you do not live with your partner
If you and your partner live apart and claimed tax credits as a couple, you바카라 사이트檒l be treated as 2 separate households on Universal Credit. In these circumstances, you and your partner would not be eligible for the transitional element.聽Because you received a Migration Notice, you바카라 사이트檒l still be entitled to the聽different聽eligibility rules.
If you바카라 사이트檙e responsible for a child
You could get an extra amount, the 바카라 사이트榗hild element바카라 사이트�, for your children if they live with you. You would get the child element until the 31 August after their:
- 16th birthday
- 19th birthday, if they바카라 사이트檙e in full-time, non-advanced education or training 바카라 사이트� for example, they바카라 사이트檙e studying for GCSEs, A levels, BTECs, Scottish Highers and SVQs, or NVQs up to level 3
If you received Child Tax Credits but your child is not eligible for the child element of Universal Credit, the transitional element will not cover that difference in entitlement.
Moving from the old types of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
There are 2 old types of ESA:聽
-
income-related ESA which is means tested聽
-
contribution-based ESA that is not means tested聽聽
If you or your partner get income-related ESA, this will be included in the calculation of the transitional element. This is because Universal Credit is also calculated based on your income.聽
If you were also getting a contribution-based ESA, as well as, or as part of, your income-related ESA claim, you will start to get New Style ESA instead. You do not need to do anything to start getting New Style ESA. The New Style ESA part of your claim will be transferred automatically.聽
The amount you get from New Style ESA will be聽deducted from your Universal Credit amount.
If you were receiving tax credits
We asked HMRC for information about your tax credits claim.聽This information is used in the transitional element calculation.聽HMRC information聽includes details such as your previously reported income.
HMRC calculated tax credits using your annual income. Your Universal Credit amount, including the transitional element calculation, is based on this income.
If you바카라 사이트檙e eligible for housing costs
If you were not previously getting Housing Benefit, the transitional element (and indicative Universal Credit award) is calculated without a housing element.聽
However, housing costs may be included from your first assessment period if a housing need is identified in your Universal Credit claim. This is not a change of circumstances, so will not cause the transitional element to decrease. 聽Find out more about聽transitional protection payments.
Support
Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline 聽
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm 聽
Phone: 0800 169 0328聽 聽
0800 phone numbers are free to call from mobiles and landlines.
If you cannot speak or hear on the phone
Use our聽聽service to make a free, text-supported call to the Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline. Dial 18001 followed by 0800 169 0328.聽
If you use British Sign Language (BSL)
Use our video relay service聽to make a BSL interpreted call to the Migration Notice Helpline.
If you바카라 사이트檙e on a computer, visit the聽.
- select Company to contact: 바카라 사이트�DWP (DA Languages)바카라 사이트�
- select Department: 바카라 사이트楿niversal Credit - if you have a Migration Notice letter바카라 사이트�.
If you바카라 사이트檙e on a mobile or tablet, use the InterpretersLive! app.
From the app:
- Select 바카라 사이트楧irectory바카라 사이트�, search for 바카라 사이트楿niversal Credit바카라 사이트�
- Select 바카라 사이트楿niversal Credit - I have a Migration Notice letter바카라 사이트�
- Select 바카라 사이트楥all Now바카라 사이트�,聽select Company to contact: 바카라 사이트�DWP (DA Languages)바카라 사이트�
- Select Department: 바카라 사이트楿niversal Credit - if you have a Migration Notice letter바카라 사이트�
- select 바카라 사이트楥onnect Now바카라 사이트�.
If you need help, .
Help to Claim
If you need help to make your claim you can get free support from the Citizens Advice Help to Claim service:
Other financial help and support聽
If you get Universal Credit, you could be eligible for other benefits or financial support. You should바카라 사이트�check what you can get.聽
You might be able to get바카라 사이트�.
If you바카라 사이트檙e in financial difficulties, you can get help and advice from the government, local councils, and other organisations, such as聽.
Updates to this page
-
Page updated to reflect tax credits ending on 5 April.
-
Added details of the Migration Notice Helpline video relay service for British Sign Language users.
-
Clarified how the transitional element is calculated for claimants who are moving from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
-
Added translation
-
Removed section on SDP (Severe Disability Premium) as we look at the total amount of claimants바카라 사이트� legacy benefit award when working out their Universal Credit and transitional element. And clarified guidance on the Universal Credit 바카라 사이트榗hild element바카라 사이트�, Child Tax Credit and the transitional element, for those responsible for a child.
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First published.