If your claimant commitment doesn’t reflect your circumstances or your circumstances have changed, ask for it to be changed ASAP (as soon as possible). You can ask to change it at any time.

1. Contact your work coach- send a message in your online journal, or ask at your next appointment. Keep a record of your request.
2. Explain your circumstances - clearly explain why your current commitment is not realistic. Be specific about what you can and cannot do. See our advice on the previous page about what needs to be in your claimant commitment.
3. Provide evidence (if you can) - this will make your case stronger. This could be a ‘fit note’ (sick note) from your doctor, a letter from a support worker, or details of your childcare arrangements or caring responsibilities.
4. Agree to the new commitment - each time your commitment is changed, you will need to agree to and accept the new one.

If your work coach refuses to change your commitment

If your work coach refuses to change your commitment, try and get advice. If you are unable to get advice, consider making a complaint. You could do this online using  Make a complaint on GOV.UK or over the phone. 

If you don’t do all the things that you agreed to in your claimant commitment all the time you might get a sanction. 

You should not get a sanction if you had a good reason for the failure but be aware that reasons for not being able to do something, or being late, that people understand in everyday life might not be accepted by the Jobcentre.
Here are some tips on how to avoid the risk of breaking your claimant commitment:

• The DWP say that the majority of Universal Credit sanctions are for missing an interview with your work coach. There are different types of interviews. If you have to attend an interview to avoid a sanction, that should be clearly explained to you in advance. If it’s not explained then you shouldn’t get a sanction and if you are, you should challenge it. Do everything you can to attend those meetings and leave your self plenty of time to get there.
• Tell the Jobcentre or report it in your online journal as soon as possible if there is a problem with something they are expecting you to do, like going to a work coach interview. If you give a good reason you should not be given a sanction. It is very easy to get upset and angry. But try and stay calm. Explain the problem and the steps you have taken to try to fix it. See examples of a good reason.
• If you do miss an appointment or required activity you will usually get a ‘Tell us why’ to-do in your Universal Credit journal. Think carefully about what you write. You need to explain why you had good reason for the failure and that you did everything you could to get to the appointment or do what was required. See examples of a good reason.
  If you tried to contact them in advance to warn them of the problem, explain that too. Explain that you always try to do what is required in your claimant commitment as well. (If you get a sanction anyway, challenge it).
• Do everything you can to avoid being late. If your lateness is caused by problems with public transport, make sure you document it by keeping any transport receipts or tickets, or take a photo or screenshot of the ‘delayed’ message on your phone. If you can, call ahead or send a message in your online journal to let your work coach know you have been delayed and that it is not your fault. Explain that you have done everything you can to get there on time.  
• Take care when applying for jobs. Mistakes you make at this point (like not completing an application form correctly or missing the deadline) can cause you problems later.
• Don’t leave your current job without a good reason.
  • Leaving because of unpaid wages, bullying, harassment or discrimination should be accepted as a good reason – but you may need evidence to support what you say. Useful proof would include emails or letters that you wrote asking your employer to improve or change your conditions of work, or to sort out a problem, or proof that you got some employment advice. 
    o    Leaving because of issues with childcare or travel can also be a good reason, but it depends on the circumstances so it’s best to get advice if you can, as well as exploring other options (including whether you can get help with childcare costs through Universal Credit).
  • Don’t leave a job because your health isn’t up to it – speak to your employer about what would help you better manage in work (keep a record of anything you discuss) or go on sick leave instead. Your employer ending the contract because of your ill-health should not get you a sanction. If, however it looks like you were sacked for not turning up, not being on time, or acting inappropriately, make the case to the jobcentre that the problem was really that your health/mental health wasn’t good enough.

●    If you think you might need to leave a job, tell the Jobcentre the reasons why in advance.

You don’t just have to do what you agreed to do in your claimant commitment – you have to be able to prove that you did it. That’s why it is really important to be organised.

Here are our record-keeping tips for backing up your claimant commitment activities:

• Keep any evidence you have of your health problems or difficult personal circumstances that mean that the jobcentre should be more lenient on you.
• Keep an accurate record of your job search and Find a Job (the Government website for jobseekers) activity. Take screenshots or photos if online.
• Keep copies and duplicates in case things get lost.
• Keep every email you get from potential employers about dates and times of job interviews and the result.
• Keep copies of any letters or emails you send.
• Make sure you know how to find the call record in your mobile phone. They can provide proof, if you need it, that you answered the phone, or that the phone didn’t ring when the jobcentre said they would call you.
• Make a note about calls to and from the jobcentre – who you spoke to, what time, and what was agreed.
• Keep anything the jobcentre or training programme gives or sends you.
• Keep a record of any problems you have at work so that you can avoid a sanction if you quit or get the sack. For example, keep records of any discrimination, bullying, or harassment you experience, or any evidence that you have that your health went through a bad patch. Also keep a record or copy of any time you tried to raise the problem with your employer.
• Keep records of appointments you have to take your children or anyone you have caring responsibilities for to.
• If you will miss an appointment because you unexpectedly have to pick your child up from nursery or school, ask the teacher or admin staff if they can give you a note you can use as evidence as to why you missed the appointment. 
   

I was waiting for the bus to take me to an interview with my work coach. The bus never came and so I missed the appointment. I was sanctioned and my Universal Credit is reduced for 10 days. I claim jointly with my partner, so we still have his money. But it’s not enough for us to live on. I’ve been told that all sanctions should be challenged, so I’m going to ask them to look at the decision again. 

Nula

What counts as a good reason to miss a jobcentre appointment?

A good reason might be something that was caused by a disability or health issue, caring or childcare responsibilities, or something beyond your control.

This might be:

•  you were ill, or had a medical emergency,
• you needed to help a family member or someone you have caring responsibilities for in an emergency, or
• a close friend or family member died or became unexpectedly seriously ill, or
• you were not given enough notice of the appointment time, or
• the appointment time was unreasonable and you made every effort to move it or alert the jobcentre that you had a problem, or
• you were unable to get to the Jobcentre because of unusual bad weather (like snow or a storm), or
• the appointment was at a time when you were at work or travelling to work, or

• you have a mobility issue and there was no way you could get to the appointment.
   

  For example, the following reasons should be accepted:

  • I missed my appointment because my mental health had deteriorated. I had not taken my medication and I was unable to function properly.
  • I missed my appointment because there was a road accident that meant my bus was delayed by an hour and had to go on diversion. I could not travel another way because of my mobility issues.
  • I was unaware the appointment had been scheduled as I was only notified yesterday and I had not seen the notification.
  • I missed the interview because I did not have enough money for the bus fare and it was too far for me to walk.
  • I had a video appointment at 3:40 but I pick up my son from school at 3:20. That day the teacher asked me to hold back and talk about an urgent issue. I raced home but just missed the call. I was in touch immediately to explain. It says on my claimant commitment that I have to pick up my son at 3:20.
    o    I missed the appointment because I unexpectedly had to look after my son as his mother was very ill. 
    o    I missed the appointment because I had to go to the funeral of my close friend. I only learnt about the time of the funeral the day before. 
    o    My gran required emergency care and I was the only person available who could help. 
    o    I missed the appointment because I was offered work at short notice. 
    o    I was unable to get to the appointment as my mobility scooter broke down. 
     

How long do Universal Credit sanctions last?

It depends on what level sanction you have been given and whether you had a sanction before within the last year.

There are four levels of sanctions. What level of sanction you are given depends on what conditions are in your claimant commitment and what the jobcentre thinks you have failed to do. 

You can get the lowest level of sanction if:

• Your only condition is to attend or take part in a work focused interview - an appointment with your work coach to discuss work, and you don’t do it.
  This level of sanction generally lasts from the day you failed to go to the interview until the day before you go to the re-arranged appointment. 

You can get a low-level sanction for:

• Missing or not participating in an in-person or telephone appointment with a work coach.
• Refusing to take part in a training course or not co-operating on a training course.
• Not confirming that you’ve carried out work-related activities or not providing information that’s relevant to them.
• Not doing something else in your claimant commitment to get work or increase your earnings.

This level of sanction lasts for the number of days the jobcentre says you didn’t do the thing you were supposed to do for, plus 7 days (if this is your first sanction in the last 365 days), 14 days (if this is the second sanction you have received in the last 365 days but you received the first sanction over 14 days ago), or 28 days because you have already had 2 or more sanctions in the last 365 days. 

For example, if you didn’t go to an appointment and took three days to ask for a new appointment, the sanction will be 3 days plus 7, if this is the first sanction you have had this year. 

You can get a medium level sanction for:

• Not taking all reasonable action to find paid work or increase your earnings.
• Not being available to start work or attend interviews.

This level of sanction is usually 28 days. If you have already had a 28-day sanction in the last 365 days (but not within the last 13), it will 91 days. If the incident you got the other sanction for was within the last 13 days, you will get the same length of sanction you got last time.

You can get a high level sanction for:

• Leaving a job voluntarily.
• Losing a job because of your behaviour.
• Not applying for a job that the Jobcentre expected you to apply for.
• Not taking up a job that was offered to you.
• Losing pay if you are in paid work without a good reason.

This level of sanction is usually 91 days. Or 182 days if you have already had a 91 days sanction in the last 365 days. Or three years if have already had two high level sanctions in the last 365 days.

If the incident you got the other sanction for was within the last 13 days, you will get the same length of sanction you got last time.

What is a claimant commitment?

Your claimant commitment is a record of the responsibilities (or ‘work-related requirements’) that you have accepted in return for receiving Universal Credit. If you don’t do something you promised to do in your claimant commitment without a good reason, you are likely to get a sanction which will mean you lose a big chunk of your benefit – often for quite a long time. This is why it is important that everyone who claims Universal Credit has a claimant commitment that properly reflects their personal circumstances and that they understand everything it says they need to do.

What is a Universal Credit sanction?

A sanction is when the DWP stops the standard allowance part of your Universal Credit for a period of time – usually because you didn’t do something you agreed to in your claimant commitment. If you are aged 16 or 17, or if your only responsibility is to attend appointments to discuss work, your standard allowance is only reduced by 40%. For everyone else, it is stopped completely.

You will usually still receive any amount of universal credit you get for housing costs, children, or for your partner if it is a joint claim. 

How long the sanction lasts depends on why you have been sanctioned and whether you have been sanctioned before in the last year. DWP figures tell us the average sanction lasts 29 days so they are very serious and you should do everything you can to avoid getting one.

What am I supposed to live on if I have been given a sanction?

It’s hard enough to get by financially on benefits, and really tough when you get a sanction. See What to do if you been given a Universal Credit sanction.What should I do if I get a sanction?

See if you can get the decision overturned. Use our free sanction tool to explain why you had good reason for failing to do the thing you failed to do. Maybe you did not understand that you must go to the appointment or maybe you were unable to get there through no fault of your own. 

If the decision is not changed, ask for an appeal. Follow our advice on how to appeal a sanction successfully. 85% of sanctions appeals are won by the claimant. 

If the decision to sanction you is overturned, you do not have to repay the hardship payment, you get the money (less the hardship payment) back, and you will not get an even longer sanction should you be sanctioned again. 

All sanctions should be challenged. 

For help on how to survive while you have a sanction, please see What to do it if you get a sanction.

Will my partner’s benefit be sanctioned too?

Universal Credit is paid jointly when you live with a partner. If only one of you gets a sanction, the sanction will affect only your part of the standard allowance (not the part that applies to your partner). But as Universal Credit is your joint income the reduction in benefit will affect you both. 

Will all my Universal Credit be stopped if I get a sanction?

The sanction only affects your part of the standard allowance. It doesn’t affect other amounts in your Universal Credit, so if you get amounts for children, housing or other circumstances, these parts will still be paid to you. 

Can I change what is in my claimant commitment?

You can ask for your claimant commitment to be changed at any time – make the request in writing on your online journal. See our advice in how to change your claimant commitment and what should be in your claimant commitment.

What happens if I don’t accept my claimant commitment?

If there is something in your claimant commitment that you will not be able to stick to for good reason (for example, because of your health, caring commitments, or need for support), explain that to your work coach. 

If the work coach refuses to change it, you could refuse to sign the claimant commitment but that will mean your Universal Credit claim does not progress. You should be offered a ‘cooling off’ period to think about whether to sign, this is usually a maximum of seven calendar days. 

A better option is probably to sign and accept the claimant commitment so that your Universal Credit claim is able to start, but request a review or amendment as soon as possible afterwards.
If you think the problem is your work coach, you can ask to be assigned to another. If the refusal to change your claimant commitment is unreasonable,  consider making a complaint. See How to make a complaint.

Bear in mind that if you already have an award of Universal Credit and you are asked to accept new commitments but refuse, your entitlement to benefit will stop.

What happens if I break my claimant commitment?

If you don’t do something that your claimant commitment commits you to do without good reason, you will very likely get a sanction. If possible, always meet all the requirements in your claimant commitment. 

If you cannot, alert your work coach as soon as possible to the problem and explain the good reason you have for not being able to meet the requirement this time.  If you have missed an appointment or training course, ask for another as soon as possible. 

If you are given a sanction, always challenge it. Use our sanction mandatory reconsideration tool. If the decision is not changed, ask for an appeal. Follow our advice on how to appeal a sanction successfully. 85% of sanctions appeals are won by the claimant. 

Once I accept a claimant commitment, will I be able to change it?

Yes. You can ask to change your claimant commitment at any time, either because your circumstances have changed or because it was never right in the first place. 

If your work coach refuses to change your claimant commitment, consider making a complaint. See How to make a complaint.

You can also ask for a new work coach.

Each time your claimant commitment is amended or updated, you will need to accept the new one in order for it to take effect. 

What should I do if I disagree with my claimant commitment?

Ask to change it. If your work coach refuses to change your claimant commitment, consider making a complaint. See How to make a complaint.

Are all claimant commitments the same?

No. They should each be tailored to the needs of the individual and reflect their circumstances. See our advice on what should be in your claimant commitment.

What should I do if I think I might be given a sanction?

If you will miss or be late for an appointment, training course or interview, put a message on your journal to warn them of the problem and explain why it is not your fault. 

Explain why you had a ‘good cause’ for whatever went wrong. There are actually some reasons that your work coach can accept without another member of staff deciding if you should get a sanction, as long as they have not already decided you should not get a sanction three times already. Those reasons are:

• you were ill, or had a medical emergency,
• you needed to help a family member or someone you have caring responsibilities for in an emergency, or
• a close friend or family member died or became unexpectedly seriously ill, or
• you were not given enough notice of the appointment time, or
• the appointment time was unreasonable and you made every effort to move it or alert the jobcentre that you had a problem, or
• you were unable to get to the Jobcentre because of unusual bad weather, or
• the appointment was at a time when you were at work or travelling to work, or
• you have a mobility issue and there was no way you could get to the appointment.

Also explain what you did to try to avoid the problem.

Think about any evidence you might have that back up your explanation – include it if you can.

You will be sent a Tell us why to-do on your journal. Use it to explain. Think carefully and try to give a good explanation with any evidence you have. 

It is now much harder to find advice and help with your benefits than it used to be. But it is worth trying to see if you can get a bit of help if you need help with your claimant commitment and to check what other benefits and entitlements you may be able to get.

You can see if there is an independent advice agency in your area via Advicelocal. 

If you live in Northern Ireland - visit Advice NI.

Check if your local council has a welfare rights service. In some cases they will be able to represent you. Phone the council and ask for ‘welfare rights’, check their website, or ask in your local library. Where these still exist, they are often very good.

Law Centres employ solicitors and caseworkers specialising in social welfare law including discrimination. They provide free advice, representation, and education on legal rights. Check if there is a Law Centre near you.

There are sometimes services that you can access through your GP, social worker, community mental health worker, or community centre. There's no harm in asking - so if you have one, call, and ask if there is a service for you.

Some charities provide advice services for particular groups - for example, the Disability Law Service offers advice to disabled people. Similarly, the Royal British Legion offers support to members of the armed services and veterans. Check if there is a charity that provides benefits advice to people in your circumstances. 

If you’ve nowhere else to turn, try your MP. They often have a caseworker who is not usually an expert on benefits but they will often be familiar with the problem and might well be able to help you.

Benefits adviser - This is a benefits expert who can give you advice about your Universal Credit claim (including your claimant commitment) and sanction. 

Claimant commitment – This is the agreement you make with the jobcentre to carry out certain work-related activities. You need to make this agreement to get Universal Credit. If you do not do all the things you promise to in the agreement, you are likely to get a sanction. This means that  your benefit is reduced or stopped for a period of time.  

Complex needs – This is the DWP term for difficult personal circumstances, or extra support needs, for example, a disability or addiction.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) - This is the government department that deals with most benefits and runs jobcentres.

Department for Communities (DfC) – This is the government department in Northern Ireland that deals with most benefits and runs Jobcentres.

Error of law – This is where a decision was wrong because of a mistake in applying or interpreting the law.

Find a Job – This is the government’s online job site.

Good reason – You should not get a sanction if there was a good reason for failing to do the thing you failed to do. Always provide a good reason for any missed appointments or other problems. If you do receive a sanction, challenge it by explaining the good reason you had for missing the appointment etc. Use our free Sanction mandatory reconsideration tool. 

Work coach / Jobcentre adviser – A member of staff at the jobcentre who you will meet regularly as part of your benefits claim, including setting your claimant commitment.

Mandatory reconsideration – This is when you ask the DWP to look at their decision again. You can ask for mandatory reconsideration of their decision to sanction you. We would always advise you to do this if you have been sanctioned. Use our free Sanction mandatory reconsideration tool. You must ask for a mandatory reconsideration before you can appeal a decision.

Online journal – Part of your online Universal Credit account where you can send and receive messages from your work coach and keep a record of what you’ve done to find work.

Protected characteristics – These are personal characteristics which mean you are protected by discrimination laws, for example ethnic origin, nationality, sex, sexual orientation, age, and religion.

Sanction - A benefit sanction is what the DWP and Jobcentre calls it when they reduce or stop your benefit payment for a period of time. This might be because they decide, for example, you are not actively seeking work, you missed a work-focused interview, or some other reason.

Screenshot – also called a screen capture or screen grab – when you take an image of what is shown on the screen on your phone, tablet or computer.

Work Capability Assessment - This is the process by which the DWP assess whether you have limited capability to work or limited capability for work-related activity, and are therefore entitled to the limited capability for work element of Universal Credit.

Work coach – A member of staff at the Jobcentre who you will speak to regularly as part of your benefits claim, including setting your claimant commitment.

Work focused interview – A meeting with a work coach to help you move into work or find more/better paid work, or to prepare for doing these things in the future. It looks at what you can do and what support you might need. Regular interviews are called work search reviews (where the work coach checks what you have been doing to find work).

Work-related conditions / requirements – These are the activities that the DWP believe will help you be able to have a job in the future. You may need to take part in work-related activity to continue receiving benefit. The DWP should make it clear if you have to do this and what will happen if you don’t. Work-related activity could consist of updating your CV, going to training courses, and doing various tasks that the DWP say will make you more able to get a job later.

What countries does this guide cover?

The information in this guide applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Please bear in mind that if you are in Northern Ireland it is the Jobs and Benefits office, rather than Jobcentre Plus, and the Department for Communities (DfC) rather than the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). 
 

Disclaimer 

The law is complicated. We have simplified things in this guide. Please don’t rely on this guide as a complete statement of the law. We recommend you try and get advice from the sources we have suggested.

The cases we refer to are not always real but show a typical situation. We have included them to help you think about how to deal with your own situation.

Acknowledgements

Advicenow would like to thank all those who provided advice and feedback, particularly Luke Albarran from North Bristol Advice Centre who peer reviewed this update.

This guide was updated thanks to funding from the Ministry of Justice under the Online Support and Advice Grant.