Managed migration - HB only claimant query

A quick one. Client is in receipt of HB only (PIP too, but that doesn’t matter). That is for reasons I won’t go into in detail (she ought to be in receipt of IR-ESA, but isn’t and that’s a matter I’m pursuing separately). Now I’ve not seen the letter yet, but she tells me that she’s received a letter from the LA to the effect she must stop claiming HB and claim UC instead. Obviously, she could be confused (which is why I need to see the letter) but if my understanding is correct, whilst she is in a cohort that could be subject to managed migration, isn’t it for UC/DWP to issue any migration notice? And that remains the case even if it’s a HB only claim?

Yes a migration notice always comes from the SSWP and carries the Universal Credit and DWP branding. See reg 44 UC TP Regs. 

Could it be the case that she has been issued with a termination notice for her HB award? The wording in the reason for stopping HB could be ‘you now need to claim UC’. That would suggest that she has had a migration notice and not acted on it or it hasnt arrived for whatever reason, but im asuming a call to Housing Benefit would determine if they have recieved a stop notice from DWP which has triggered a termination notice to the client.

Thanks both.

Actually a case of the daughter relaying info to me on mother’s behalf and getting it wrong. Turns out there was no letter from HB - only an SMS message from UC (client says has not received a migration notice, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t issued, of course).