Large number of Ashfield disability benefit claimants waiting for move to Universal Credit

Employment Support Allowance (ESA) is provided to people who cannot work due to a disability or health condition.

It is one of several legacy benefits that will end in March 2026, with the Government moving claimants to Universal Credit.

But a debt charity has warned against people slipping through the cracks, especially as the migration process speeds up.

The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show 527 people in Ashfield who had received one form of ESA had been handed a migration notice as of the end of December.

But of these, 245 (46 per cent) were still waiting to be transferred to Universal Credit

The figures also show how ESA claimants have fallen behind people who received other types of support.

People claiming ESA comprised just 14 per cent of all migration notices as of December, well below the proportion of people still waiting to be transferred.

It indicates those receiving ESA are far more likely to face delays when migrating to Universal Credit.

Sending migration notices to ESA claimants was initially delayed until 2028-29, before being brought forward to September last year.

The Government hopes to have sent all notices out by December 2025.

All legacy benefits will be closed by the end of March 2026, but charities have warned many people are struggling to transfer from their current benefits to Universal Credit.

David Samson, benefit expert at Turn2us, said people on ESA often have disabilities or long-term health conditions that can complicate moving to Universal Credit.

He warned: "Moving to Universal Credit isn’t just a tick-box exercise for them.

"It’s a huge change that could put their financial security at risk if they don’t get the right support.

"It is important that this process is not rushed, to ensure people get the help they need to move over smoothly.

"The Government knows ESA claimants need extra support, but what really matters is that the support actually reaches them."

Across Great Britain, 47 per cent of the 198,000 ESA claimants who have received a migration notice are still waiting to transfer to Universal Credit.

The 93,000 ESA claimants waiting to be transferred accounted for 53 per cent of all benefit claimants waiting to be moved onto Universal Credit.

This is despite making up just 12 per cent of all migration notices sent.

Mr Samson welcomed the DWP's enhanced support journey for ESA claimants, but cautioned it is too early to say whether it is working.

He said: "No one should lose out just because they’re struggling with a complex system.

"That means clear information, one-to-one help for those who need it, and flexibility if someone needs more time to make their claim.

"With migration speeding up, we need to make sure people aren’t slipping through the cracks.

"This process has to be fair, and it has to work for the people who rely on these benefits the most."