Universal Credit claimant commitment

This information applies to England and Wales.

If you claim Universal Credit, you must agree to a ‘claimant commitment’. This is a list of things you need to do to receive your payments.

Your claimant commitment depends on which group the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has put you in after a Work Capability Assessment.

You can see your claimant commitment in your Universal Credit account.

Sign into your Universal Credit account

If you struggle to do the tasks on your claimant commitment, you can ask if they can be reduced or stopped.

If you are too ill for work-related requirements

If your health has changed, you can ask for another Work Capability Assessment. The DWP might put you in a different group.

Check you’re in the right Universal Credit work-related activity group (Citizens Advice) 

Understanding Universal Credit payments

Warning Avoid benefits sanctions

It is important to:

  • do the tasks on your claimant commitment
  • speak to your work coach if you cannot do them

Otherwise, the DWP could reduce or stop your benefits.

Benefits sanctions

For example, your work coach invites you to an in-person meeting, but you cannot do this. 

Leave a note on your Universal Credit journal asking for a phone or video meeting instead.  

Sign into your Universal Credit account

Asking for reasonable adjustments

If you think you have been treated unfairly

If you are in the:

your claimant commitment includes work-related requirements.

These are regular tasks the DWP asks you to do to prepare for work. For example:

If you are in the fit for work group, you also need to look for work.

If your work-related requirements are not accessible

Your work-related requirements might not be accessible to you. You can request a reasonable adjustment.

If you are in the limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) group, your claimant commitment will not have work-related requirements.

But you might have to agree to other things. For example, to tell the DWP about any change of circumstances.

Change of circumstances on Universal Credit

If you are terminally ill

If it is reasonable to think that your illness could be terminal within 12 months, you are exempt from a claimant commitment. Ask your doctor or medical professional to fill out a SR1 form. 

Terminally ill people and benefits

You might have work-related requirements but are too ill to do them. You can try to negotiate with your work coach. They may be able to reduce or stop them.

Contact the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.

Explain you would like an appointment with your work coach to talk about changing your claimant commitment.

Universal Credit helpline (GOV.UK)

Before the appointment, you can post in your Universal Credit journal. Explain why you find it hard to do the work-related requirements.

Sign into your Universal Credit account

You can also get support to negotiate with Universal Credit or your work coach.

If you think you have been treated unfairly

What your work coach decides

Your work coach has a duty to consider your request and your circumstances. But they will decide whether to reduce or stop your work-related requirements.

You can ask to have a new work coach, but you may not be given one.

You can also complain.

Contact Universal Credit

If you think you have been treated unfairly

If you are too ill to look for work 

If you are in the fit for work group, you must look for work. If you feel too ill and your health has changed, ask for a Work Capability Assessment.

Work Capability Assessment

After this, the DWP may put you in a different group.

If you are on long-term sick leave

If you are already employed but are on long-term sick leave, you should not have to:

  • do training
  • look for work

for the first 14 days after you tell Universal Credit about your fit note.

If your work coach asks you to do these things, get advice.

Find a local benefits adviser

Fit notes

A fit note is the same as a sick note. It is a document from your GP to say you cannot work for a specific period of time. 

Tell Universal Credit about a fit note as soon as you receive it. You should be able to do this through your Universal Credit journal.

For the first 14 days after you send in the fit note, you will not need to:

  • do work-related requirements
  • look for work if that is in your claimant commitment

After 14 days, your work coach could ask you to do work-related requirements, but they also have the discretion to stop or reduce them.

If your work coach asks you to do these things while you have a fit note, you can: 

Getting a fit note (NHS)

You can also get support to negotiate with Universal Credit or your work coach.

Find a local benefits adviser

If you are too ill for work-related requirements

Benefit sanctions

If you do not fulfil your claimant commitment without a good reason, you risk a benefit sanction. Good reasons include:

  • you were too ill or
  • you had caring responsibilities

A benefit sanction means the DWP reduces or stops your benefit payments for a time.

Sanctions after missed appointments

Many stopped or reduced payments (sanctions) happen because of missed appointments.

If you know you will have to miss an appointment, make sure you leave a message on your Universal Credit journal before it happens and explain why.

Contact Universal Credit

If you have a sanction

You can ask for a mandatory reconsideration.

For example, you were too ill to attend an appointment with your work coach and you get a sanction.

During a mandatory reconsideration, the DWP will decide if you had a good reason for missing the appointment.

Avoid or challenge a Universal Credit sanction (Advicenow)

You can get support to speak to Universal Credit.

Find a local benefits adviser

If you think you have been treated unfairly

Hardship payments

You can apply for a hardship payment if you have been sanctioned. This is a loan you have to pay back. 

Apply through your Universal Credit journal. Explain how you are finding it difficult to pay your bills.

Contact Universal Credit (GOV.UK)

Get a hardship payment if you’ve been sanctioned (Citizens Advice)

Find a local benefits adviser

If you need free benefits advice or support in person:

Find an adviser (Advicelocal)

Find a local benefits adviser (Turn2us)

If you think you have been treated unfairly

There are things you can do if you think you have been treated unfairly. You can:

  • talk to your work coach. Leave a note in your Universal Credit journal asking for a meeting.
  • ask for a different work coach. Universal Credit might not agree to this.
  • complain to the DWP
  • speak to your MP

Discrimination when claiming benefits

Last reviewed by Scope on: 06/11/2024

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