TENS of thousands of households on benefits need to take action within weeks or risk having their payments stop before Christmas.

This warning comes as the government continues to move all two million claimants on legacy benefits to Universal Credit by the end of March 2025 through a process known as managed migration.

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The transition officially started in November 2022 after a successful pilot in July 2019.

As part of this process, households on legacy benefits, including tax credits, receive “migration notices” by post.

These notices provide instructions on how to switch to Universal Credit, as the transition is not automatic.

Households must apply for Universal Credit within three months of receiving their migration notice.

Failing to do so can result in their benefits being stopped.

Over 284,660 individuals have already lost their benefits after failing to switch to Universal Credit within the three-month deadline.

The latest migration notices are being sent to over 800,000 households who claim employment and support allowance (ESA).

So, if you received one in September or at the beginning of October, you’ll need to ensure you switch to Universal Credit before Christmas – before the three-month deadline is up.

If you don’t do this, you could be without an income during the busy festive period.

Your migration notice will state the exact deadline you have to make the switch.

A DWP spokesperson said: “We are committed to ensuring all customers receive the support they need from our staff and services.

“The department has a wide range of support available to all individuals, particularly those who are vulnerable.”

THOUSANDS HAVE ALREADY HAD THEIR BENEFITS CUT

Since July 2022, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has sent nearly 1.14million migration notices.

However, according to the DWP’s latest figures, 284,660 individuals lost their benefits after failing to act on migration notices received between July 2022 and June 2024.

Some 623,310 individuals have since made successful claims for Universal Credit, and another 232,830 are still in the process of transitioning.

Last month, The Sun revealed that around 171,750 households receiving tax credits, who were sent migration notices between November 2022 and December 2023, have had their benefits stopped.

That’s according to new figures from the DWP, provided to anti-poverty charity Z2K via a freedom of information request.

Experts have previously warned that managed migration poses a risk to vulnerable people who face losing money.

Top bosses at charities, including Mind, The Trussell Trust, Turn2Us and the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, said in 2022 that around 700,000 with mental health problems, learning disabilities, and dementia could struggle to engage with the process.

More than 20 organisations have called on the government to halt managed migration to fix flaws in the system that could cause those at risk to fall through.

MANAGED MIGRATION PROGRESS

In January, the government announced the number of migration notices it plans to send out in the coming financial year.

Before this date, the focus was sending migration notices to households claiming tax credits only.

However, 110,000 income support claimants and a further 120,000 claiming tax credits with housing benefit started receiving their letters in April.

Over 100,000 housing benefit-only claimants were contacted in June.

More than 90,000 people claiming employment and support allowance (ESA) along with child tax credits started being asked to switch in July.

Meanwhile, 20,000 claimants on jobseekers allowance (JSA) will be contacted from September.

The Sun previously reported that, in August, those claiming tax credits who are over state pension age will be asked to apply for either Universal Credit or pension credit.

It was initially planned that those claiming income-related ESA alone would not be moved until 2028.

However, the DWP brought forward plans to move these households to Universal Credit by the end of 2025.

Since September 2024, 800,000 households have begun receiving letters explaining how to move from ESA to Universal Credit.

HELP CLAIMING UNIVERSAL CREDIT

As well as benefit calculators, anyone moving from tax credits to Universal Credit can find help in a number of ways.

You can visit your local Jobcentre by searching at find-your-nearest-jobcentre.dwp.gov.uk/.

There’s also a free service called Help to Claim from Citizen’s Advice:

• England: 0800 144 8 444
• Scotland: 0800 023 2581
• Wales: 08000 241 220

You can also get help online from advisers at citizensadvice.org.uk/about-us/contact-us/contact-us/help-to-claim/.

A HISTORIC city brewery with a legacy spanning 150 years is set to close, putting 97 jobs at risk.

The Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) has confirmed plans to close Wolverhampton’s Banks’s Brewery.

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The historic Chapel Ash site – which opened in 1875 – could shut for the final time in the autumn of next year.

CMBC blames a decline in cask ale volumes and Mahou San Miguel’s decision not to renew its licence partnership from 2025.

The site’s planned closure doesn’t automatically mean the end of Bank’s branded beer.

For now, customers can still enjoy the tipple as usual.

However, it remains unclear if production will continue at another facility after the Bank’s brewery shuts down.

CMBC did retain the Hobgoblin brand by moving production to a new facility following the closure of its Wychwood Brewery last November.

Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) has demanded that Banks’s beer must continue to be brewed at the Marston’s Brewery site in Burton.

In its statement, CMBC said it was supporting colleagues across its wider network impacted by the proposals, including the 97 employees at its Wolverhampton brewery.

Paul Davies, chief executive of CMBC, said: “This has been an extremely difficult decision, however it has been necessary to restructure our business to maintain our competitiveness in a challenging UK beer market.

“The team at Banks’s has been unwavering in its dedication and commitment to the brewery. We will ensure that we support all our people closely throughout this extremely challenging period.”

As part of the network restructuring, CMBC will increase investment in its breweries in Northampton and Burton, with the long-term aim of establishing Marston’s Brewery in Burton as a “national centre for craft beer and traditional ale brewing in the UK”.

CMBC will invest more than £6 million in significant new projects at its brewery in Burton, including the refurbishment of its cask ale line, and invest in a new logistics depot in the Black Country region.

Mr Corbett-Collins, the national chairman of the Camra has described the planned closure as “devastating but predictable” news for British brewing.

In July, Carlsberg announced plans to buy out UK pub-group Marston’s from their CMBC venture in a deal worth £206million.

CMBC proposed Bank’s brewery closure isn’t the first in recent years.

Last year, it closed the world-renowned Wychwood Brewery – famed for Hobgoblin Ale.

The factory in Witney, Oxfordshire, shut in November 2023.

Its six staff – who had a combined 100 years of brewing experience.

Hobgoblin ales, as well as Wychwood brands Firecatcher and Dry Neck beers, are now brewed at CMBC’s other sites.

The drinks giant also closed Ringwood Brewery and shop at the start of the year, saying there was “no viable path forward”.

The Temperance Street Brewery in Manchester shut up shop last year after more than a decade of trading.

The tap room, located on the outskirts of the city centre, closed less than a year after it was taken over by new owners.

It was put up for sale after the firm said its location in a residential area made expansion a challenge, but no buyer was found.

COST OF LIVING PRESSURES

The number of craft breweries in the UK fell from 1,828 at the start of 2023 to 1,815 at the start of the year.

That now stands at 1,748 according to the latest figures up to June from the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA).

The SIBA UK Brewery Tracker takes into account all brewery openings and closures to give an accurate picture of the number of active brewing businesses.

Craft breweries have been hit hard by the cost of living crisis and the pandemic.

While many producers pivoted to home deliveries during covid lockdowns, they were then hit by rising costs combined with people reigning ion their spending.

The prices of energy, rents and ingredients have all shot up. They have also faced higher interest rates when borrowing money to grow the business.

SIBA chief executive Andy Slee said when the latest figures on closures were published in July: “Independent brewers are reporting good sales growth and strong consumer demand, yet breweries continue to close.

“For most breweries the challenge is financial pressures from rising costs and market access, as well as lingering Covid debt – something SIBA has strongly lobbied Government for help on.”

The Campaign for Real Ale’s (CAMRA) warned about the pressures on the drinks business this week as it published its Good Beer Guide 2025.

It said that many of the breweries that featured in last years guide have now closed and cited a “perfect storm” ofthe tax burden, few viable routes to market and stubbornly high energy bills among the factors.

CAMRA Chairman Ash Corbett-Collins said: “This year’s edition of the Good Beer Guide shows a brewing trade that continues to face huge challenges, but one that beer and pub lovers across the UK are still rallying behind.

“CAMRA will be lobbying this new Government to show their support for independent breweries, to try and ensure that the Good Beer Guide 2026 is brimming with new establishments.”

As well as CMBC’s closure of Wychwood and Ringwood, it said the loss of Elland Brewery just months after its 1872 porter was crowned CAMRA’s Champion Beer of Britain 2023 and the award-winning Nottingham-base Navigation Brewery was “tragic” and a blow for the local community.

Last week, The Fourpure brewing company was placed into administration to “protect itself from market pressures”.

Administration is when all control of a company is passed to an appointed licensed insolvency practitioner.

It doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the business.

Instead, administrators will try to help a company find ways to repay debts or solve its cashflow problems.

Its beers, such as Pomegranate IPA and Juiced Mango and Raspberry, are stocked in major supermarkets like Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and Ocado.

However, it’s not all bad news, an iconic 90s beer will return to UK pubs after 30 years.

Announcing the come back on Instagram, Allsopp’s Beer revealed Double Diamond is set to make a return.

BRITAIN’S “strictest landlord” has defended his decision to charge customers extra for not finishing their meals.

Mark Graham, 62, has owned and run The Star Inn pub in the tiny hamlet of Vogue, Cornwall, for the last 27 years.

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He hit back at a customer who tried to shame him online after they were charged an extra £2.40 because they piled their plates high at the £12 all-you-can-eat carvery – but ate barely any.

Verity Farmer, who shared her experience on Facebook, said: “Just been for a Sunday carvery at The Star Inn, Vogue, St Day.

“We paid for our meal at £12 each, and when we got our bill it had got an extra £4.80 added.

“When questioned about it they said it was a charge for not eating all our meal. I’ve never heard anything like that before.”

Her post prompted nearly 400 comments in less than 24 hours, with The Star Inn’s social media page among those replying.

It said: “We just try and make sure there is enough food for everyone.

“I’m sure if you were a customer later on in the day and I had to tell you I had no food left for your booking because it had all been wasted and gone in the bin you would not be very happy and would have made another social media post too.”

Now Mark – a former tin miner who also served in the Royal Navy – has defended the policy, which is outlined in notices inside the eatery.

He says it is the first time in 20 years he has enforced the rule – and only did so after the two diners told him they had enjoyed the meal.

Mark shared a photo of the leftover food on social media and insisted the nominal charge would only cover the raw ingredients they left but not the equipment, staff or energy.

He said: “I’m not strict but I’m a straight talking Cornish landlord. Ask anybody who comes in for a meal, I’m an easy-going Cornish boy. I tell people ‘fill your boots, have as much as you like, as long as you eat it’.

“When young children come in with their parents we say don’t buy them a meal, we give them an empty plate and say share some of yours and come up if you want more, as long as you eat it.

“We keep it at £12 for a large or £8 for a small because we are a local village pub trying to help the community, we use a local butcher and greengrocer.

“We do as much as we can to keep our prices down but if everybody behaved like these ladies I’d have to put the prices up.

“I think the ladies wanted to shame me because they have been charged, to be honest I think they are just entitled people who believed they would get all the support.

“They tried to say they had only left a few potatoes so they weren’t completely truthful.

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“People on Facebook were saying why not just put the prices up and let people leave what they want, well I keep the price down low for everybody and I’m not going to change that for a few idiots.”

Mark said the pub has deep ties with the local area, hosting the community library, installing floodlights in his field so the village football team can train for free, and hosting 20 different groups from a knitting circle to a motorcycle club.

He said: “We’re a little family run village pub and we want to keep everybody happy, the pub is the hub of this community.

“It’s hugely frustrating because it’s all you can eat, with a normal meal we’ll give you boxes and doggy bags because it’s your food, you’ve paid for it and you can take it away.

“With all you can eat the margins are very fine, if everybody piled two meals on a plate and threw one away by the time the later people came in all the food is in the bin because it’s been wasted, it all goes downhill from there.”

Mark was also backed by locals including pensioner John Tozer, 79, who has been a regular at the pub for 40 years.

He said: “He’s a brilliant landlord, I think he was absolutely in the right to charge those ladies.

“You see people pile up their plates like Mount Everest then they can’t eat it, then at the end of the day people come in and there isn’t any left because of other people’s greed. It bloody annoys me.”

Mark and his pub have previously hit the headlines after fashion giant Vogue threatened to sue him.

Condé Nast, the owner of Vogue magazine, sent a ‘cease and desist’ letter ordering him to stop using the name ‘Vogue’ as it is their name – even though the pub is more than 200 years old and the village is older still.

The publishing giant later backed down and apologised, admitting it didn’t do its homework.

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MCDONALD’S is launching a new lunch and dinnertime meal deal offering customers four menu items for just £5.

Fast food fans will be able to save almost £2.50 when the deal is unveiled in restaurants tomorrow (October 9).

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Customers can choose from two different burgers, a medium drink, fries and four chicken McNuggets normally costing £7.46.

The offer will be available in restaurants from 11am, after the breakfast menu is switched for the main one.

However, fast food fans won’t be able to order from the comfort of their home as the new deal isn’t available for delivery.

Plus, not all restaurants are running the offer so there is no guarantee you’ll be able to snap up the discounted items.

This is the full list of items included in the meal deal and how much they cost individually:

• Cheeseburger – £1.39
• Mayo Chicken – £1.39
• Medium Carbonated Soft Drink – £1.59
• Medium Fries – £1.69
• Four Chicken McNuggets – £2.79 (based on a pro-rata of the price for six Chicken McNuggets)

Bear in mind, the price of all the above items may vary from restaurant to restaurant.

We have also asked McDonald’s if the £5 meal deal is a permanent offer and for the list of restaurants not offering it and will update this story when we have heard back.

How does the £5 meal deal compare to other chains?

McDonald’s latest offer might seem like the perfect way to save a bit of money on your lunch break, but is it the cheapest?

We’ve listed off a few other retailers and fast food chains’ offerings which are actually cheaper.

The below offers aren’t offering the same options as McDonald’s, but do offer some alternatives if you’re looking to spend a bit less.

Tesco‘s meal deal comes with a main, including sandwiches and pasta pots, snack and drink for £4 for regular customers and £3.60 for Clubcard holders.

Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s meal deal costs £3.50 and comes with the same trio of items.

Pharmacy chain Boots‘ meal deal also comes with a main, snack and drink and costs from £3.99. Londoners have to pay £4.99.

In terms of fast food chains, Domino’s launched a £4 lunchtime meal deal in April that’s available seven days a week.

The offer lets customers choose from small pizzas, hot and cheesy wraps and chicken strips.

Greggs also has a meal deal where customers can snap up a pizza slice and regular hot or cold drink for £3.50 before 4pm seven days a week.

After 4pm and the price drops to £2.85 – nearly 20% cheaper.

OTHER MCDONALD’S NEWS

McDonald’s customers are in for a busy October, with the fast food chain already having confirmed a new breakfast item is making its way onto menus.

From October 16, foodies will be able to get their hands on mini hashbrowns in a portion of five or 15, with prices starting from £1.49.

McDonald’s already sells regular-sized hashbrowns for £1.19 but these are bitesized.

Many customers have already taken to social media saying the product reminds them of Tater Tots – a popular side dish in America.

It is still unclear whether or not the morning snack will become a permanent menu item or will only be available for a limited period.

Meanwhile, the iconic McRib burger is back on menus from the same date after a nearly 10-year hiatus, with reporter Sam Walker getting a try before its launch.

Anyone looking to snap up the returning pork-based burger will have to be quick though as it is back for a limited time only.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories

Believe it or not, we’ll soon be turning our attention to 2025 – and it might be a year for advisers to take particular notice of.

If estimates from The Centre of Economics and Business Research are correct, women will hold 60% of the UK’s wealth from next year. That’s a hefty amount.

As women’s wealth grows, the hope would be they increasingly look to seek professional advice on how best to manage it.

Of course, some will have been responsible for their own wealth creation and may already be benefitting from the peace of mind that comes with advice.

It probably was never the intention to exclude the client’s wife. But it’s hard to win someone’s trust if they haven’t felt included

These women are on track to achieve their financial goals. They know how to navigate their savings and investments, they adequately contribute to their pension and they are well placed to ensure their money keeps working for them so they can have a fulfilling retirement.

And as long as they feel they can trust their adviser, they probably don’t mind whether that person is a man or a woman.

Let’s face it, as female advisers account for just 16% of the total market, it’s more than likely their adviser is male.

There is a real opportunity to address this gender imbalance and make advice and the wider financial services sector more appealing as career options.

There is already great work being done in this area. Small changes can have a big impact.

While more women will have the money in their hands, others will still be facing a pension shortfall compared to their male counterparts

Wouldn’t it be a great result if having more female advisers leads to more women seeking advice?

For some women, next year may be their first time being fully responsible for their financial situation, especially if control of the money passes to them after the death of a spouse.

This is how a large proportion of wealth is expected to transfer. If the husband had an adviser (and I say ‘if’, as figures suggest only 8% of all UK adults have received financial advice), will the widow decide to continue with the professional relationship?

Much of that is likely to depend on how involved she was in the process previously. If the adviser didn’t do much to actively engage with her before her husband died, she may feel it’s too late now.

If she doesn’t feel comfortable to ask questions without fear of judgement because she hasn’t properly been part of the equation and hasn’t been seen as an individual, it could mean assets walking out the door.

Research from The Lang Cat reveals more women feel greater uncertainty about how and where to find a good adviser

That’s not to say the adviser wouldn’t be perfectly happy to explain things in a clear way with empathy. It probably was never the intention to exclude the client’s wife. But it’s hard to win someone’s trust if they haven’t felt included.

They are also likely to be in a vulnerable position. They might need to take a bit of time to work out what’s best for them and their family.

When it comes to taking advice in the first place, research from The Lang Cat’s Advice Gap 2024 report reveals more women feel greater uncertainty about how and where to find a good adviser.

Could more be done to promote the values of advice? Should firms look at how they market themselves to ensure they are appealing to a wider demographic?

Now, I’ve seen plenty of arguments for and against advice firms having a strategy to attract and retain female clients.

Things are improving but the very fact we still have a gender pay gap and a gender pensions gap shows more still needs to be done

On the one hand, women are no different to male clients, so why would they need to be treated differently? On the other, some may want to feel valued in their own right. Perhaps they consider their situation to require an alternative approach.

Could part of the problem be that, while women may not need to be treated differently as such, they haven’t been treated the same?

While more women will have the money in their hands, others will still be facing a pension shortfall compared to their male counterparts.

Things are improving but the very fact we still have a gender pay gap and a gender pensions gap shows more still needs to be done.

There are also more women than men who have no private pension wealth at all. Indeed, the Financial Conduct Authority’s latest Financial Lives Survey found more women than men are struggling to cope financially.

The under-representation of women in financial services is a cause for concern and the same is true for female investors. If one improves, the other could follow

Elsewhere, studies have suggested women can be more risk adverse when investing. And, on average, with women living longer, there are clearly a few factors at play which puts them in a tricky situation and could see some struggle in retirement.

Some women will undoubtedly feel more inclined to speak to another woman – someone who has shared similar experiences to them.

It’s not necessarily the case women have more empathy. Many advisers are able to support their clients because they use their soft skills alongside their technical knowledge.

But the under-representation of women in financial services is a cause for concern and the same is true for female investors.

If one improves, the other could follow.

Laura Barnes is director of business development at Nucleus

A PEOPLE’S Postcode Lottery winner nearly missed out on collecting his £111,000 prize.

Michael Whitaker, from Keighley in West Yorkshire, had to beg his boss for the day off – and colleagues weren’t impressed.

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The self-confessed adrenaline junkie rang up his boss to ask for the day off so he could be given the huge cheque.

She was forced to lie to her staff who were expecting to see Michael in an 11am meeting.

He said: “I rang my boss and told her Postcode Lottery are here. But I had a design and compliance finance meeting at 11am and I had all the figures.

“Luckily, my boss was ecstatic for me and said she wouldn’t tell anyone in the meeting as to why I couldn’t make it.”

Michael joined others on his street in bagging £111,111, which he hopes to use towards a “once-in-a-lifetime” tour around the Norweigan Fjords.

Michael, who has scuba dived all around the country, said he was astounded when he received the cheque.

“When I saw the cheque, I thought £11,000 and then… I processed it and there was six digits! It’s incredible,” he said.

When asked what he was going to do with all of the extra money he said he dreamt of taking his new motorbike, a Triumph Tiger 900, on a road trip.

“I’ve got to an age where I want to see more, and I recently bought the motorbike to go adventure riding.

“I’d love to go to Norway and Sweden. Just go and not have anywhere booked and see where I end up.

“I’ve done a lot of things and seen a lot of things that nobody’s seen, and I want to carry on doing that and push myself more,” he said.

He added: “You have dreams but they’re not dreams anymore now. This brings them into reality.”

The clerk landed the massive cash prize along with eight of his neighbours in Shann Crescent, Keighly, after their postcode BD21 2TN landed the weekly Millionaire Street prize on Monday.

Every cheque was worth £111,111.

Across the road, Sanna Babar, who also cashed in the six-figure sum, said she is now planning a trip to Walt Disney World in Florida for her two daughters.

She said: “We were thinking of going to Disneyland Paris in August next year, but it could be Florida now!”

“I was trying to save up money, but I don’t need to do that now and I could bring my mum and dad too. It was a sort of fantasy before, but I’m going to do it,” she added.

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