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.

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 6 December 2016
• Last updated: 15 October 2025
  Show all updates

  1. 15 October 2025

     Textphone details removed and Relay UK details added to 'Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: how to keep your benefit payment'.

  2. 17 December 2020

     Updated the opening hours of the DWP helpline to 8am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.

  3. 9 December 2016

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

  4. 6 December 2016

     First published.

Documents

Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: how to keep your benefit payment

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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.