When you’re on Universal Credit, you must sign a claimant commitment to say that you agree to find work or find better paid work. If you do not keep to the terms of the claimant commitment, your benefit may be sanctioned – this means it can be reduced or stopped.
If you’re sanctioned and believe that you had a good reason for not being able to meet the work-related requirements, you should ask for a mandatory reconsideration. A reconsideration means a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) decision maker will look at the decision again to see if it is correct.
If the outcome of the reconsideration is successful, the decision maker can revise the decision and you’ll be paid any backdated money you’re owed. This means you’ll be paid any benefit you’re owed from the date when it was stopped.
If you need help to challenge a sanction decision you can:
There’s more information about sanctions here.
To make an appeal, or for general benefit advice, contact our Financial Inclusion Team on 0300 365 1111.