Benefit Sanction

Sanctions are tied directly to the claimant commitment every Universal Credit claimant must accept: 'To get Universal Credit payments, you'll need to accept an agreement called a "claimant commitment".' Official guidance states the consequence of not sticking to it in plain terms: 'You must do everything you agree to in your commitment or your payment could be reduced or stopped. This is called a sanction.' The same guidance gives a concrete trigger: missing a jobcentre appointment without an accepted good reason — 'If you miss an appointment, you'll need to provide a good reason for not attending. If your reason is not accepted, you could get a sanction and your Universal Credit payment will be reduced.'

Sanctions are not applied to every claimant equally. Some people are protected from the commitment regime altogether: 'If a medical professional has said you're nearing the end of life, you will not need a claimant commitment and you will not get a sanction.' Claimants can also seek flexibility before a failure occurs — guidance notes 'You may be able to get a short pause or change to your claimant commitment in an emergency. For example, if you have a death in the family or are at risk of homelessness' — and can contact the Universal Credit helpline if they are struggling to meet a requirement.