Research: How Move to UC customers manage their UC claim: Qualitative Research

The key aim of this research is to better understand how Move customers manage their Universal Credit (UC) claim and to gather insights into the customer experience of claiming UC compared to legacy benefits.

Since May 2022, households have been invited to Move to UC in staggered phases. Recognising that engaging with UC is different to former DWP legacy benefits, research was required to understand the early experiences of former legacy customers who had already moved to UC (‘Move customers’). The research aims specifically to understand how individuals managed their account on a day-to-day basis, once their claim had been verified and they were in receipt of UC payments. In particular, research was needed to explore the extent to which customer support needs affect their experiences.  

The research involved 91 qualitative interviews with Move to UC customers, formerly in receipt of income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Housing Benefit (HB) and tax credits (Working Tax Credit and/or Child Tax Credit).  Between September 2025 and October 2025, a total of 90 interviews (online and telephone) were completed. One additional interview was conducted during an additional fieldwork period carried out between December 2025 and February 2026 targeting customers who were discovered during recruitment to not speak English at a level that would allow them to participate.

customers’ experiences of making a UC claim and processing their claim to the first statement

identification of the support needed to manage a claim, once claiming UC, and among which types of customers

customer experiences of UC compared to legacy benefits

This research contributes to the body of evidence on Universal Credit that can be used to inform Policy and Design  decisions in the future.