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.
Your Claimant Commitment
Following your online claim you will be asked to attend a face-to-face interview with a work coach at your local Jobcentre Plus.
At this interview, you will be asked to agree a Claimant Commitment.
Your "claimant commitment" will detail the conditions for claiming UC which you will have to accept at the beginning of your claim.
If you are claiming with your partner, you’ll each have a Claimant Commitment and set of responsibilities.
There are 4 conditionality groups:
- Group 1 - No work related requirements
- Group 2 - Work-focused interview requirement
- Group 3 - Work preparation requirement
- Group 4 - All work-related requirements
Depending on which group you are in you will need to perform certain tasks such as:
- write a CV
- look and apply for jobs
- go on training courses
You’ll also need to do things like:
- pay your own rent and other housing costs
- report any changes in your circumstances
18-21 year olds claiming UC will have to participate in an intensive period of support at the start of their claim. After six months, if they are not working they will be expected to apply for an apprenticeship, traineeship, gain work place skills or go on a work placement.
Parents with a youngest child aged 3 or older (including lone parents) who are able to work will be expected to look for work if they are claiming UC.
A full explanation of Claimant Commitment can be found at GOV.UK.
Failure to meet the claimant commitment
The Claimant Commitment will clearly state what will happen if an individual fails to meet their responsibilities.
It is therefore important to check that your work coach has put you in the right work-related activity group. Do not sign your claimant commitment if you can't do the things listed on.
You will have a cut in your benefit, known as a sanction, if you fail to meet any of your responsibilities and can’t give a good reason to explain why.
Depending on what you failed to do and how many times you have failed to meet your responsibilities, a sanction can last for up to 3 years.
A guide "Make sure your claimant commitment is right for you" is available at claimantcommitments.org.uk.
Alternatively, more information about Claimant Commitment and Sanctions is available from the following sites:
If you’re struggling to complete all the work-related activities in your claimant commitment, you might be able to get them changed, see citizensadvice.org.uk.
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