Northern Ireland has made the Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026 (S.R. 2026 No. 4). The changes take effect on Thursday 29 January 2026, in step with the parallel Great Britain instrument. ([legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/new/nisr?utm_source=openai))
The amendment adjusts how migration notices are timed. Under regulation 45 of the 2016 Transitional Regulations, a notice tells a legacy‑benefit recipient when to claim Universal Credit by a specified “deadline day”. The new provision allows that deadline to be set as the “appointed day” on which the relevant legacy benefit is abolished, ensuring transitional protection applies where notices issue close to abolition. ([legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2016/226/part/4/crossheading/the-migration-process?utm_source=openai))
This change applies to claimants entitled to income‑based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income‑related Employment and Support Allowance or Income Support; for recipients of Housing Benefit only, the deadline may be the appointed day for Housing Benefit. Abolition of those benefits is provided for by Article 39(1)(a)–(d) of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015. ([legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisi/2015/2006/article/39/made?utm_source=openai))
The “appointed day” is set by commencement order under the 2015 Order and is not dependent on an individual making a Universal Credit claim. Existing commencement orders include dates such as 1 April 2026 for remaining Income Support cases, illustrating how the new alignment will operate in practice. ([legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2025/176?utm_source=openai))
Where a claimant receives both Housing Benefit and another legacy benefit, the deadline is determined by the appointed day for the other legacy benefit. The definition of appointed day excludes cases where the date would otherwise fall within the two‑week run‑on period, preserving continuity of payments during managed migration. ([legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2016/226/part/4/crossheading/the-migration-process?utm_source=openai))
A new regulation 64A addresses cases where a claimant made a qualifying UC claim that failed because identity could not be verified and legacy benefits were incorrectly continued. If that person subsequently makes a successful UC claim within one month of a departmental notification inviting them to do so, the Department may treat them as still entitled to old‑style ESA on the date of the subsequent claim for transitional purposes. ([legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2016/226/body?utm_source=openai))
Regulation 64A also preserves protection for those whose continued legacy awards included a severe disability premium. In such cases, the Department may treat the person as having been entitled to an SDP‑bearing award in the month immediately before UC began, allowing Schedule 2 protections to apply. ([legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2016/226/body?utm_source=openai))
For claimants whose legacy awards included an enhanced disability premium, a disability premium or a disabled child premium, regulation 64A enables treatment as entitled in the month before the UC award so that the additional Schedule 3 amounts, introduced in February 2024, can be paid where conditions are met. ([legislation.gov.uk](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/2024/5/2024-01-11/data.html?utm_source=openai))
The Department for Communities states that these provisions correspond to regulations made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for Great Britain, which were made on 6 January 2026 and commence on 29 January 2026. Instruments in this category are not subject to prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee by virtue of section 149(3) and Schedule 5 paragraph 10 of the 1992 Act, as reflected in recent NI social security S.R.s. ([statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk](https://statutoryinstruments.parliament.uk/instrument/3lJHlh3K?utm_source=openai))
For delivery, the immediate effects are twofold. Migration notices issued near an abolition date may specify a deadline that is the appointed day, and identity‑verification cases reopened by departmental notification carry a one‑month window to secure transitional protection. Public guidance on migration notices and standard deadlines remains in force unless modified by these targeted amendments. ([nidirect.gov.uk](https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/universal-credit-if-you-receive-migration-notice-letter?utm_source=openai))