The Department for Communities has made the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 (Commencement No. 18) (Abolition of Benefits) Order (Northern Ireland) 2025 (S.R. 2025 No. 176), dated 12 November 2025. The instrument sets final dates to terminate income‑related ESA, income‑based JSA, Income Support and certain Housing Benefit awards as Universal Credit replaces six legacy benefits in Northern Ireland.
From 1 December 2025, the amending provisions apply to any old‑style ESA award that is wholly attributable to the contributory allowance, including where both allowances exist but section 6(4) of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 treats payment as arising from the contributory allowance. In practice, the award converts to new‑style (contributory) ESA and can no longer include, or later acquire, an income‑related element.
Where an ESA award is not wholly contributory on 1 December 2025 but later becomes so, the conversion happens on the first day that condition is met. This approach prevents future income‑related ESA entitlement arising after the contributory‑only point is reached, ensuring consistency across cases as the transition to Universal Credit proceeds.
To support administration, the Department may delay preparation of a claimant commitment for ESA cases converted under Article 2. During any period of delay, acceptance of a claimant commitment is not a condition of entitlement. This reflects the temporary modification of sections 11A and 1(3)(aa) of the 2007 Act to protect operational throughput as conversion work is completed.
For old‑style JSA, any remaining awards where the amending provisions have not yet taken effect-and are not due to be treated as in operation at the end of a two‑week run‑on-will switch on 1 April 2026. From that date, income‑based JSA entitlement ends for residual cases, subject to the existing run‑on arrangements.
Income Support follows the same timetable. Article 39(1)(c) of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015, which abolishes Income Support, is brought into operation on 1 April 2026 for all outstanding awards not already ending during a two‑week run‑on under the Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016.
Housing Benefit is addressed for a defined cohort. For working‑age claimants who are not entitled to Universal Credit, Income Support, income‑based JSA or income‑related ESA, who receive Housing Benefit for temporary or specified accommodation, the Order commences Article 39(1)(d) on any day on or after 14 November 2025 that follows the last day of entitlement to Housing Benefit for that accommodation.
The Order preserves the long‑standing exemptions for those over the qualifying age for State Pension Credit and related categories under regulation 4A of the Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016. It also allows a fresh Housing Benefit claim if the claimant later qualifies again for specified or temporary accommodation support.
These commencement steps operate alongside the existing triggers that already terminate legacy income‑related awards: making a Universal Credit claim, forming a couple with a Universal Credit claimant, or failing to claim by the deadline specified in a migration notice. The two‑week run‑on provisions for legacy benefits remain in place and are unaffected by this instrument.
For claimants and advisers, the timetable is now fixed. From 1 December 2025, contributory‑only ESA becomes new‑style ESA with no route back to an income‑related component. From 1 April 2026, residual income‑based JSA and Income Support awards end outside run‑on periods. Housing Benefit awards tied to temporary or specified accommodation cease when a claimant moves to general accommodation on or after 14 November 2025, with ongoing housing costs ordinarily met through Universal Credit.
The Department for Communities frames the Order as a further stage in completing the migration from legacy benefits to Universal Credit. The instrument cross‑refers to the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015, the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995, the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 and the 2016 Transitional Regulations to ensure that abolition, conversion and safeguarding measures are implemented in a controlled sequence.
In operational terms, households receiving migration notices should continue to meet stated deadlines to avoid loss of protection. The Order itself creates no new entitlement routes; rather, it sets commencement dates for ending remaining legacy awards and routes eligible housing costs through Universal Credit, save for cases that continue to qualify for Housing Benefit under regulation 4A.