People who claim one DWP benefit warned over 'buried' detail in Budget

People who claim Employment and Support Allowance from the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) have been warned over a buried Budget change. Benefits and Work, a benefits forum, warns the Budget documents confirms the ESA to Universal Credit managed migration has begun.

It states: “The government will accelerate the migration of claimants onto UC from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), bringing the start date forward from 2028 to September 2024. This move will bring more people into a modern benefit regime, continuing to ensure they are supported to look for and move into work.

"Around half of ESA claimants will receive more financial support on UC, while others will receive transitional protection to ensure nobody is worse off at the point at which they move over to UC.” It comes as the Labour Party government is pursuing a massive crackdown on fraud and error in the state benefits system with a fresh set of reforms to health and disability benefits coming early next year.

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The crackdown is expected to save as much as £4.3bn in the 2029-30 financial year through a range of measures and controls including hiring thousands more staff and targeting claimants. Across the five years from 2025-26 to 2029-30 the package of measures is expected to save a combined £7.5bn.

“The government will set out reforms to health and disability benefits early in 2025 to ensure the system supports people who can work to remain in or start employment, in a way that is fair and fiscally sustainable,” it said in the Budget documents.

“Fraud and error in the welfare system costs the government nearly £10bn a year. The government is committed to tackling this to fix the public finances and invest in public services. That is why the government is announcing the biggest welfare fraud and error budget package in recent history, saving £4.3bn in 2029-30.

“This package includes programmes that will prevent, detect, and correct fraud and error in the benefit system.”