Martin Lewis issues urgent 'do not ignore' warning to thousands on DWP benefits

Financial expert explained the Department for Work and Pensions change could result in the loss of their payments

Martin Lewis has fired off a stark three-word warning to DWP benefits claimants: "do not ignore". The money-saving expert is alerting thousands on benefits to pay attention to an upcoming shift that could see them lose out on their payments if missed.

Those receiving key "legacy benefits" should be on high alert for correspondence from the Department for Work and Pensions. On his BBC podcast, Martin dished out advice on how to smoothly transition to the new payment system.

In a bid to streamline the benefits system back in 2012, the Government passed laws to merge six different benefits into one means-tested Universal Credit. After pilot runs in 2019, this system was fully rolled out in November 2022.

To cushion the changeover for beneficiaries, ministers have orchestrated a gradual phase-over spanning a few years.

This approach, dubbed "managed migration", allows those on the original six benefits to continue receiving them as "legacy" for a limited time, reports Birmingham Live.

Martin's key piece of advice for those impacted is to keep an eye out for an important letter from the DWP detailing the steps to switch over.

He warned: "On tax credits, housing benefit, ESA or similar? Don't ignore the crucial letter - you could lose your benefits. The Department for Work and Pensions is sending letters to many people saying you must now apply to switch to Universal Credit."

"Don't ignore it - tragically, DWP stats show a third have had benefits cut off after not applying." This is because you need to lodge a fresh claim to prove you're eligible when you move over to Universal Credit.

Official figures throw up that in the last couple of years, the Department for Work and Pensions has dished out upwards of 1.14 million migration notices.

But if you don't finish your application once you've got a notice, you could find yourself without any benefits.