DWP media campaign to raise awareness of move to UC

Has anybody seen anything of this? I can’t find anyone who has seen anything other than the ‘Tax Credits are ending’ leaflet - and not many of them.

Hi Andrew

Like you I have seen very little in the way of a “media campaign”.  Perhaps updating the odd website counts as a major media campaign by Government-  oh for the days when the Post Office held DWP forms and leaflets.

There is some evidence DWP are occasionally updating the internet about UC. <https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk>. This particular page has the UC branding and mentions people fleeing Israel, Palestine and Lebanon, although recent I would not go as far as calling it a “media campaign”. .

Here in sunny Hastings our local radio station (More Radio) ran some DWP “adverts”  about moving to UC for a short time.  I can’t recall when but certainly well before the early Summer. Must admit I did not listen too carefully as they were very boring and I was driving at the time..

I have not seen any recent press releases, PQs or HOC Statements etc suggesting otherwise.

Thanks for your reply.

One recent claimant ‘Thought I’d heard something on the radio but it didn’t seem to apply to us’.- nobody else has indicated they have seen or heard a thing.

Is the message not getting over, I wonder, or has it simply not been given out properly?

I agree that tinkering with a website isn’t a media strategy.

I’ve asked DWP for information.

No reply.

There are a few posts similar to the leaflet on their facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/DWP

For example - https://www.facebook.com/DWP/posts/pfbid038EBNu7DcSY22JRLMTRaUXJ1LiRuYwTBLNSaJSAX4PBedsqdagBPJP8ap8rNVY4pbl

Andrew Dutton - 09 November 2023 03:24 PM

Thanks for your reply.

One recent claimant ‘Thought I’d heard something on the radio but it didn’t seem to apply to us’.- nobody else has indicated they have seen or heard a thing.

Is the message not getting over, I wonder, or has it simply not been given out properly?

I agree that tinkering with a website isn’t a media strategy.

I’ve asked DWP for information.

No reply.

I have heard a few radio adverts over the last month or so. It basically said tax credits are ending, wait for a migration letter from DWP, it said you won’t be moved automatically I think

Just spotted this tweet from the DWP -

https://twitter.com/DWPgovuk/status/1722990011417559061

Nothing on the TV?

Odd, if that is so….?

Still no reply from DWP.

As you know, DWP published statistics this week about the move to UC from Tax credits

Within https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/completing-the-move-to-universal-credit-learning-from-initial-tax-credit-migrations/completing-the-move-to-universal-credit-learning-from-initial-tax-credit-migrations, it says the bit below. By no means a media campaign mentioned anywhere, but they say they are learning and taking things on board!

In addition to the feedback received from claimants receiving the Migration Notice, we are also collaborating with key external stakeholders through our Move to Universal Credit forums, seeking to utilise their insight to improve the move to Universal Credit customer journey. As part of this work, we shared the Migration Notice with these groups earlier this year and obtained a range of helpful feedback and suggestions, much of which has been taken on board. The most notable changes include signposting to independent support through Help to Claim (delivered by Citizens Advice, funded by DWP) and to Advice Local[footnote 7] and making clearer the need to renew tax credits as well as making the claim to Universal Credit.

[Edited to fix link]

See that DWP is now calling managed migration the ‘universal credit switchover’ -

https://twitter.com/DWPgovuk/status/1743233445709406482

Next - ‘The UC Short-Circuit’?