The benefits system is a bit like a contract. The government expects people claiming benefits such as Universal Credit (UC) to meet certain work-related conditions which are set out in your ‘Claimant Commitment’. The government pays benefits in return for you doing what your Claimant Commitment says you will do. If you don’t, then the Jobcentre can sanction you.

Reasons for getting sanctioned

There are four levels of sanctions. The sanction you get 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.

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.

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.

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.

Have a look at these examples of why other people got sanctioned.

So, if the Jobcentre accuses you of missing a telephone appointment, not turning up for a meeting, not applying for a job, not attending an interview, not taking part in an employment or training scheme or not accepting a job that you have been offered, you might be sanctioned.

How long do sanctions last?

How long a sanction will last depends on a number of different things, like what level of sanction you have been given and whether you have been sanctioned before. According to the DWP the average length of time for a Universal Credit sanction is 29 days, although they can run for much longer than that. Some Universal Credit sanctions last until you comply with the thing you were sanctioned for. Unless you only have to attend work-focused interviews, a fixed period will be added to these sanction periods too. See Have you been sanctioned for the right length of time for more help.

Will my partner’s benefit be sanctioned too?

Universal Credit is paid jointly when you live with a partner. If only one of you is sanctioned, the sanction will affect part of your benefit (not the part that applies to your partner), but as Universal Credit is your joint income the reduction in benefit will affect you both. If both you and your partner are sanctioned at the same time, and you are claiming Universal Credit jointly, you’ll see a bigger reduction.

Will all my Universal Credit be stopped?

The sanction doesn’t affect other amounts in your UC, so if you get amounts for children, housing or other circumstances, these parts will still be paid to you.

Your Claimant Commitment is a record of the things you have agreed to do in return for getting benefit. For example, taking part in meetings with your work coach, applying for the jobs you are told to apply for, attending interviews and taking any work within a certain travelling time from your home. If you don’t do these things or can’t prove that you have done them, you could get sanctioned.

So, it is really important that you understand what the Jobcentre expects you to do.

• Don’t be afraid to ask your work coach (sometimes also called 'Jobcentre adviser') to explain anything that is unclear.
• Read your Claimant Commitment, letters from the Jobcentre, or notes in your Universal Credit online journal carefully and as soon as you get them. If they contain mistakes or leave out something important, report it straight away. You can report it in your online journal, by ringing Universal Credit, in writing, or in person at the Jobcentre. This will help to avoid problems later.

Make sure your Claimant Commitment reflects your circumstances

Make sure that your Claimant Commitment reflects the things that reduce or change your availability for work or certain types of work. For example:

• a health condition or illness,
• a disability,
• child care or other caring responsibilities,
• recent experience of domestic abuse or bereavement.

If you have difficult personal circumstances, or need extra support, what the DWP call ‘complex needs’ for any reason, for example:

• a disability,
• being ex armed forces,
• a former prisoner,
• not having English or Welsh as a first language, or
• being a care leaver.

Make sure that this is recorded because this can give you extra protection from being sanctioned. These circumstances should be reflected in your Claimant Commitment too. So make sure you tell your work coach everything relevant in your history and circumstances so that you get the right support.

If you don’t feel your Claimant Commitment is right, use your online journal, call the helpline, write a letter to the Jobcentre or speak to your work coach to explain how your everyday activities and your ability to be available for work are affected.

If things change, for example, you get new caring responsibilities or your mental health condition gets worse, make sure you ask the Jobcentre to make changes to your Claimant Commitment.

Keep a record of communication between you and the Jobcentre or other DWP staff. For example, take screenshots of your journal to see what messages you received and sent. Keep a copy of any letters and make a note of any calls – time, date, who you spoke to and what was said.

Don’t risk breaking the terms of your Claimant Commitment

If you don’t do the things that you agreed to in your Claimant Commitment you might lose benefit. And reasons for not being able to do something, or being late, that people understand in everyday life, might not cut it with the Jobcentre.

Here are some tips on how to avoid the risk of breaking your Claimant Commitment:

• If you have to attend an interview to avoid a sanction that should be clearly explained to you in advance. If it is not explained, then you should not be sanctioned, and if you are sanctioned, you should challenge it.
• 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. So, do everything you can to attend those meetings.
• Try your best 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. If you can, call ahead or  send a message using your online journal to let your work coach know you are running late. It's a good idea to take screenshots of your journal so you can prove that you told the Jobcentre about any problems attending appointments.
• Take care when applying for jobs. Mistakes you make at this point, like, for example, not completing an application form correctly, can cause you problems later.
• Don’t leave your current job without ‘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 from you asking your employer to improve or change your conditions of work or sort out a problem, or proof that you got some employment advice.
• If you think you might need to leave a job tell the Jobcentre the reasons why in advance.

Be organised and keep records

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 an accurate record of your job search and Find a Job (the government website for job seekers) activity. Take screenshots or photos if online.
• Keep copies and duplicates in case things get lost. Take screenshots or photos of messages you put on your Universal Credit online journal.
• Keep every email you get from potential employers about dates and times of job interviews and the result.
• Keep copies of any letters you send.
• Make sure you know how to find the call record in your mobile phone. Or if you get itemised phone bills, keep them. They can provide proof, if you need it, that you answered the phone, or even that the phone did not 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.