Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir ): Universal Credit is
modernising the social security system, improving value for money
for taxpayers and ensuring people are better supported to move
into work where they can.
As I set out in my statement on 20th April, the full
transition from legacy benefits is due to complete by the end of
June 2026, with the exception of a small number of customers who
require time to find an appointee.
The Department's Move to UC official statistics, published in May
2026, show that (as of 31st March 2026) 2.4 million people across
1.8 million households have been notified of the need to make the
transition to Universal Credit. Of these, over 1.5 million
households went on to make a claim and approximately 815 thousand
households have been awarded Transitional Protection.
In 2020 the Upper Tribunal court determined that a customer
claiming UC, even where a decision that resulted in benefits
ending was later reversed, should not be reinstated onto legacy
benefits. However, it also identified some such customers
experienced a financial loss where their benefit entitlement was
lower on UC.
Today we are launching the Successful Legacy Appeals
Scheme. This compensation scheme follows the Upper Tribunal
decision of R (on the application of TD, AD and Patricia
Reynolds) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2020] EWCA
Civ 618. It aims to compensate certain people who had to
claim UC due to a decision to end their means‑tested legacy
benefits; including Housing Benefit, Tax Credits, Employment
Support Allowance, Jobseekers Allowance or Income Support, and on
claiming UC received a lower entitlement than their previous
legacy benefit entitlement, and who later had the decision to end
their legacy benefit reversed.
The scheme constitutes the response of the Secretary of State for
Work and Pensions to the determination of the Upper Tribunal and
means that customers affected by similar circumstances do not
need to seek redress through the courts or a tribunal.
