Universal Credit and your claimant commitment
Updated 25 October 2023
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Your claimant commitment
When you claim Universal Credit you will need to accept your claimant commitment.
Your claimant commitment will set out what you have agreed to do to prepare for and look for work, or to increase your earnings if you are already working. It will be based on your personal circumstances and will be reviewed and updated on an ongoing basis. Each time it is updated, you will need to accept a new claimant commitment to keep receiving Universal Credit.
The claimant commitment is your record of the responsibilities that you have accepted in return for receiving Universal Credit, and the consequences of not meeting them.
Your Universal Credit payments may be cut if you don’t meet your responsibilities. This is called a sanction.
You can view your latest claimant commitment online. You will also be able to update your progress on your goals using that account.
If a medical professional has said you might have less than 12 months to live, you will not need a claimant commitment.
If you live with a partner
If you live with a partner, you both need to claim Universal Credit. Both of you will need to accept a claimant commitment.
Tailored to your situation
Universal Credit changes as things change in your life. Your responsibilities in your claimant commitment will vary depending on such things as your family, your health and your potential for future earnings.
For example:
| Your situation | Your responsibilities |
|---|---|
| If you are earning as much as can be expected | You will receive financial support without any other conditions to increase your earnings. |
| If you are able and available for work | You will need to do everything you reasonably can to give yourself the best chance of finding work. Preparing for and getting a job must be your full time focus. If you do not do this without a good reason, your Universal Credit payments might be reduced. This is known as a sanction. |
| If you currently have a health condition or disability that means you have limited capability for work, but this is expected to change over time | You will be supported until your circumstances improve and you can work. You will be expected to prepare for work so far as you are able. |
| If you have a disability or health condition which prevents you from working | You will not be asked to work, and will be supported through Universal Credit. |
| If you provide care for at least 35 hours a week for someone who gets a health or disability related benefit | You will not be asked to work, and will be supported through Universal Credit. |
If you have children
If you make a Universal Credit claim and have children you will need to nominate a main carer.
If you’re a single parent or the main carer, your responsibilities will change as your youngest child gets older and will be tailored to your personal circumstances.
| Age of your youngest child | Your responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Under 1 | You will not be expected to look for work. |
| Age 1 | You will not be expected to look for work. The only work-related activity you will be expected to do is to have regular appointments to discuss a future move into work. |
| Age 2 | You will not be expected to look for work. The work-related activities you will be expected to do are having regular appointments with Universal Credit and work preparation activities, such as writing your CV. |
| Age between 3 and 12 | You will be expected to work up to 30 hours a week, or spend up to 30 hours a week on work-related activities such as applying for jobs. |
| Age 13 or over | You will be expected to work up to 35 hours a week, or spend up to 35 hours a week on work-related activities such as applying for jobs. |
Support from your work coach
If you need to look for work, you will get help from a ‘work coach’. You work coach can help with things like writing a CV, accessing training and looking for work in your area.
They will focus on mentoring and coaching you, to help you meet the requirements recorded in your claimant commitment.
If you are able to look or prepare for work, your claimant commitment will include things like your job goals, regular work search activity, or any work preparation actions that you must complete to receive Universal Credit.
These will be in the ‘work plan’ section in your online account. Work search activity could involve registering with ‘Find a job’ or a recruitment agency, or applying for suggested vacancies.
Work preparation activity could include preparing a CV or attending and completing a training course. You could also be expected to attend regular appointments to discuss your progress. You should think of jobseeking as a full-time job.
You will be expected to look or prepare for work for 35 hours a week, depending on your circumstances.
If you do not do what is in your claimant commitment
Your commitments will clearly state what will happen if you fail to meet each of your responsibilities. You may receive a reduction in your benefit, known as a sanction, if you fail to meet one of your responsibilities and cannot give a good reason to explain why.
How long sanctions last depends on what you failed to do and how many times you failed to meet your responsibilities, without good reason.
If a medical professional has said you might have less than 12 months to live, you will not face sanctions.