Benefit Sanctions

When you claim Universal Credit and are subject to work-related requirements, you sign a Claimant Commitment setting out what you must do — typically attending appointments, actively seeking work, applying for jobs, or completing courses. If you fail to meet these requirements without a good reason, your work coach may refer you for a sanction.

A sanction means that the standard allowance element of your Universal Credit is reduced for a set period. Other elements — such as the housing cost element, childcare element, and child elements — are not normally affected by sanctions.

Before the DWP imposes a sanction, it should give you the opportunity to provide a reason (called "good reason") for your non-compliance. You will usually receive a letter asking you to explain, and you should respond to this as quickly as possible with a full explanation.

Universal Credit sanctions are applied at three levels:

Lower-level sanctions apply when you fail to comply with requirements that go beyond the minimum — for example, failing to attend an adviser appointment or not undertaking a particular job-seeking activity. The sanction lasts for seven days, rising to 14 days for a second failure, and 28 days for subsequent failures within 365 days.

Medium-level sanctions apply to JSA-type failures — for example, failing to attend a mandatory training programme. The sanction lasts four weeks, rising to 13 weeks for a second failure within 365 days.

Higher-level sanctions are the most serious and apply when you leave a job voluntarily without good reason, refuse a job offer without good reason, lose a job through misconduct, or fail to start or complete an employment-related scheme. The sanction lasts 91 days (three months), rising to 182 days for a second failure and 1,095 days (three years) for a third. However, the DWP rarely issues maximum-duration sanctions and they can be ended early if your circumstances change.

The concept of "good reason" is crucial. The DWP must consider your reasons before imposing a sanction, and if you had a genuine reason for your non-compliance, you should not be sanctioned. Examples of potentially good reasons include:

• You or a close family member was ill, had a medical emergency, or died
• You had caring responsibilities that made attendance impossible
• There was a transport failure outside your control
• You attended an appointment or applied for a job but did not receive confirmation
• You were not informed of the requirement clearly
• You did not understand what was required of you
• You have a disability or mental health condition that affected your ability to comply

Always provide your reasons in writing — keep a copy. If you were ill, get a note from your GP or hospital even if you did not attend at the time. The burden of proof for good reason lies with you, not the DWP.

If you believe a sanction has been wrongly applied, you have the right to challenge it. The process is the same as challenging any DWP benefit decision:

1. Request a Mandatory Reconsideration — write to the DWP within one month of the sanction decision letter, clearly explaining why the sanction is wrong or why you had good reason for your non-compliance. Include any supporting evidence.
2. Appeal to the Social Security Tribunal — if the reconsideration upholds the sanction, you can appeal to an independent tribunal within one month of the reconsideration outcome. This is free.

Research by the Child Poverty Action Group and others shows that a significant proportion of sanctions are overturned on reconsideration or appeal. Do not assume the sanction is correct simply because it has been imposed.

While you are challenging a sanction, consider applying for a Hardship Payment (see below) to prevent destitution during the process.