Move to Universal Credit DWP Legacy Benefit Customer Qualitative Research
Understanding the Move to Universal Credit customer journey for DWP legacy benefit customers and factors that influenced their decision to make a Universal Credit claim or not鈥�
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Research background
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) commissioned qualitative research to better understand the Move to Universal Credit customer journey for DWP legacy benefit customers (customers in receipt of at least one of the following benefits: Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), Income Support (IS), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Housing Benefit (HB)), and provide an insight into customer behaviour during the three-month period after the receipt of a Migration Notice. The research explored the factors that influenced former legacy benefit customers to make a Universal Credit claim or not. It also sought to understand experiences of the Move to Universal Credit process including any barriers and challenges legacy benefit customers encountered.聽
The first phase of the research was conducted during the Move to Universal Credit Discovery work in 2023 (in which 2,000 former legacy benefit customers were invited to move to UC). The second phase of the research was conducted in 2024 with HB and IS customers, who were being invited to move at scale, as well as with ESA only and ESA and HB customers who had been invited to move as part of small-scale Discovery work.
The Department has conducted various stages of Discovery work to learn, iterate and improve the process at smaller scales. This Discovery work often resulted in enhancements to the service and therefore means some of the findings in the research are not reflective of these changes. The report sets this out clearly where relevant. This includes the request for medical evidence amongst ESA claimants which the Department addressed once it learned of the issue and a small number of HB claimants in supported housing being issued notices in error which has also been fully addressed.
Contribution to the evidence base
This research contributes to the body of evidence on Universal Credit that can be used to inform Policy decisions in the future.聽聽
Research value
This research will help Policy and Working Age Services Group colleagues better understand the customer journey for DWP legacy benefit customers moving onto Universal Credit and identify areas for ongoing improvement in the Move to Universal Credit activity.