Response 3872904

Response to request for information

Reference

3872904

Response date

12 January 2026

Request

Over recent years the government has been operating a program of managed migration which is seeing people being invited to migrate to Universal Credit (UC) or their current benefits will be terminated. The government has accelerated this process and according to the House of Commons library all income-relate Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants will receive their migration notices by Autumn 2025 and be moved by April 2026.

Reading comments on forums and groups some disabled people who have completed their move to UC from ESA are saying their council tax bills and/or social care charges have changed as a result, with most saying they have increased.

As a billing authority you will have been notified by the Department for Work and Pensions when an ESA claimant is migrated to UC. As a result you will have recalculated their council tax and any reduction they were getting. Therefore, I request the following information about this group:

• How many ESA to UC claimants have you been notified about?
• How many have seen their council tax bill increase?
• How many have remained the same?
• How many have decreased?

While not every claimant who migrated from ESA to UC will be getting social care, some will. Therefore please share the following information.

• How many ESA to UC claimants are getting social care?
• How many have seen their social care charges increase?
• How many have remained the same?
• How many have decreased?

Response

How many ESA to UC claimants have you been notified about?
We had 595 claimants on ESA as at 01/10/24 and we have 7 left to migrate.

How many have seen their council tax bill increase? 
We do not have this information but most receive the same level of CTR.

How many have remained the same? 
See above.

How many have decreased?
We do not have this information recorded.

The questions below relate to social care which we do not provide – please contact Nottinghamshire County Council.

While not every claimant who migrated from ESA to UC will be getting social care, some will. Therefore please share the following information.

How many ESA to UC claimants are getting social care?
How many have seen their social care charges increase?
How many have remained the same?
How many have decreased?