Legacy benefits and universal credit

In most cases, new claims will come under the universal credit system. Therefore you cannot normally make a new claim for any of these benefits, known as 'legacy benefits':

• child tax credit
• housing benefit
• income-related employment and support allowance
• income-based jobseeker's allowance
• income support
• working tax credit

You must claim universal credit instead.

Already on a legacy benefit

If you are already getting one of these legacy benefits, you will eventually be asked to claim universal credit instead. You may also have to claim universal credit if your circumstances change.

Housing benefit

You can still make a new claim for housing benefit if:

• you are living in specified or temporary accommodation or
• you (and your partner*) have reached pension age

* Before 15 May 2019, you could claim pension credit and housing benefit if either you or your partner had reached pension age: a 'mixed-age couple'. From 15 May 2019, you normally both have to be over pension age to make a new claim for either of these benefits; if one of you is under pension age, you will need to claim universal credit instead until the younger partner also reaches pension age. However, you can still make a new claim for pension credit or housing benefit if you had reached pension age by 14.5.19 and were entitled to housing benefit or pension credit on that date and have continued to be entitled to either of these benefits as part of the same mixed-age couple continuously since then.

Contributory benefits

You can still claim the following benefits if you have paid or been credited with enough national insurance contributions in certain tax years:

• New style employment and support allowance
• New style jobseeker's allowance

Tax credits

If you are already getting child tax credit, you can still add on a new claim for working tax credit. If you are already getting working tax credit, you can still add on a new claim for child tax credit. 

Carers

You can still claim carers allowance

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