Group warn DWP that forced Universal Credit migration will endanger disabled people

An organisation of professionals who support vulnerable benefits claimants has warned the government that the Department for Work and Pensions’ (DWP’s) mandatory switch to Universal Credit (UC) is putting many at Risk.

In a letter to the chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, Debbie Abrahams, the National Association of Welfare Rights Workers warned that, according to the DWP’s own data, 6% of all employment and support claimants had their benefits stopped after failing to move over to Universal Credit.

DWP Managed Migration to Universal Credit leaves many destitute

Legacy benefits claimants, such as income related Employment Support Allowance (ESA), have been transferred over to Universal Credit since 2022 under the Managed Migration (MM) scheme. However, as the Canary has extensively covered, MM fails many claimants, with up to 400,000 losing their benefits.

A DWP internal report found that Managed Migration was especially difficult for chronically ill and disabled people, who struggle with stress and lack the energy to fill in excessive forms. The report showed little understanding of what they were being asked to do. Of course, this meant that many failed to claim and lost their benefits.

In the letter, NAWRA chair, Alan Markey, told Abrahams:

These claimants will all have long-term health conditions and/or disabilities, and their legacy benefits are likely to be their only source of income. A failure to migrate to universal credit therefore carries a high risk of destitution, rapid deterioration in their health, and even death.

The letter further explains just how many people have been struggling in the last nine months alone:

The latest DWP statistics, published on 11 November 2025, provide a detailed analysis of the migration of the ESA cohort to universal credit. The Department highlights that, for those sent a migration notice between July 2024 and May 2025, 3% failed to make a claim to universal credit and had their legacy benefits stopped. However, for claimants who were in receipt of ESA only, the figure alarmingly doubles to 6%.

Claimants left unsupported by an uncaring system

The NAWRA has pointed out that they were pushed to write this letter to Abrahams after many of their members have highlighted their concerns around the DWP refusing to extend the deadline, despite the members attempting to support claimants.

The letter gives two examples of such claimants. In the first case study:

Claimant has huge difficulty engaging with anyone – adult social care set up a package of support, but the claimant would not let anyone into his property. Because Claimant was not engaging, DWP has said it will terminate legacy benefits and make a safeguarding referral. Adviser requested further extensions to the deadline but refused.

The letter says:

Taking away claimant’s income is highly unlikely to encourage him to make contact and he risks being unable to meet his basic needs, leading to severe harm or possibly death.

And in the second case study:

Claimant with severe communication difficulties and finds any interaction with others excruciating. Legacy benefits were stopped as the final deadline was missed, and although the adviser managed to help the person make a Universal Credit claim, there was a gap and DWP (incorrectly) failed to add a limited capability for work-related activity to the claim, meaning that the claimant is subject to full conditionality.

The letter goes on to say:

Due to his difficulties he is highly likely to be sanctioned leaving him destitute.

The organisation warns that although the DWP are putting measures in place to support claimants, too many are not being supported.

too many are nevertheless slipping through the net, and NAWRA is extremely concerned that the DWP has no plan on how it will support these claimants.

The NAWRA also seems to chastise the DWP for not doing enough, saying that the DWP’s response to stakeholders was that “it can only do so much”. They also highlight that by making a safeguarding referral, the DWP feels “it has met its duties”. This evidently is a huge issue with the DWP, who previously had to admit to stakeholders that their ESA helpline was causing claimants to self-harm, but they had no idea what to do to stop this.

DWP must be brought to task before more lose their lives

The organisation makes a final plea to Abrahams to do something:

We hope that in your role as Chair of the Committee, and with your particular interest in safeguarding, you will be able to exert some pressure on the Department to ensure that it has procedures in place to ensure the migration process does not result in further preventable deaths.

For many, this plea will be too late, but hopefully, this added pressure will make the DWP take pause before subjecting even more claimants to harm. However, with even bigger Universal Credit cuts on the horizon, it doesn’t seem like the DWP’s aim is to reduce violence against poor and disabled people.

Featured image via the Canary