Guidance

Employment and Support Allowance sanctions

It’s important that you understand what you must do to get your benefit payment and what will happen if you don’t do this.

Documents

Details

This factsheet explains:

  • what you must do to keep your full benefit payment
  • how long your benefit payment could be reduced for if you do not do what you are asked to do by your work coach or adviser
  • what you can do if you don’t agree with a decision to reduce your benefit payment
  • what you should do if your benefit payment is reduced
  • how you can get information about hardship payments

Read more about Employment and Support Allowance.

Updates to this page

Published 6 December 2016
Last updated 17 December 2020 + show all updates
  1. Updated the opening hours of the DWP helpline to 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

  2. Added Welsh version of 'Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: how to keep your benefit payment'.

  3. First published.

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