Agree your Universal Credit Commitment

Agree your Commitment

To get Universal Credit you need to agree your commitment through your online account. Your commitment sets out the things you need to do to prepare for work, look for work or increase your earnings (where appropriate).

You will regularly discuss and update your commitment with your work coach, and you will need to agree to the commitment each time to keep getting Universal Credit. 

The actions set out in your commitment will depend on things like:

• your health
• your responsibilities at home, and
• how much help you need to start working or to increase your income.

Your work coach will contact you by telephone to discuss what activities you can do to help you move into employment and to offer support.

You will be given notice of your telephone appointment on your journal. It is important that we have this conversation with you as part of your Universal Credit application process.

If you claim Universal Credit as a couple, you will each have your own commitment.  Your commitment may be affected if your partner starts work or their circumstances change.

Your Universal Credit payment may be reduced if you do not do the things you agreed in your commitment and you cannot give a good reason to explain why. This is known as a ‘Sanction’.

If you are sanctioned, you will be told how much of your Universal Credit payment you will lose and for how long.

COVID-19

Depending on your circumstances, you may need to have an appointment at your local Jobs & Benefits office to discuss your commitment and make sure it meets your needs.  You will need to accept your commitment through your online account every time it changes.

Your commitment will:

• take account of your circumstances, including if you have a disability or medical condition or caring responsibilities
• set out what you need to do to prepare for work, look for work or increase your earnings, and
• be reviewed regularly with your work coach and updated if necessary.

The things you need to do could include:

• going to interviews in your local Jobs & Benefits office
• preparing a CV
• going on a training course or employment programme
• applying for jobs, and
• registering with a recruitment agency.

If you have a health condition or disability

If you have a health condition or disability you may need to have a work capability assessment to check what you can and can’t do. This assessment will work out whether you:

• have a limited capability for work (currently too sick to work)
• have a limited capability for work and work-related activity (have a long-term health condition or disability), or
• are fit for work.

Your work coach will talk to you about the actions you need to take to keep getting Universal Credit, based on your work capability assessment and your other circumstances. 

If you move from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to Universal Credit and have already had a work capability assessment, the findings of that assessment will apply until a new work capability assessment is made.

If you are currently unable to work, your work coach will support you until your circumstances improve.  During that time you may be expected to take actions to prepare for work.

If you become ill or disabled, let Universal Credit know through your Universal Credit online account.

If you are fit for work

You may be expected to spend up to 35 hours a week looking for, or preparing for, work (depending on your circumstances).

You can find more information on applying for jobs, advice on careers and looking for work.

If you have children

Children affect the commitment and actions expected of the main carer. If you are claiming Universal Credit as a couple, you will be asked to choose which one of you is the main carer.

If you look after someone who is sick or disabled

If you care for someone who gets a sickness or disability benefit such as:

• Personal Independence Payment
• Disability Living Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance, or
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

what you are expected to do will depend on how many hours you spend looking after them.

If you look after someone for less than 35 hours a week, or the person you look after doesn’t receive sickness or disability benefits, you should speak to your work coach.

If you work for an employer

If you are working you may not have to attend interviews at your local Jobs & Benefits office. This will depend on your earnings.

Note 1 – Conditionality Earnings Threshold

Your earnings are above the conditionality earnings threshold if:

• you are earning enough to not have to carry out any work-related activity, or 
• if you are claiming as a couple, the total of your and your partner’s earnings are enough for you to not have to carry out any work-related activity.

If you are self-employed

If you are self-employed you may not have to attend interviews with your work coach. This will depend on your earnings.

Note 2 –Gainfully self-employed

You are gainfully self-employed if your self-employed work is your main employment, you take an income from it, and it is regular, organised, developed and expected to produce a profit. 

Note 3 –Start-up period   

You are in the start-up period if your current self-employment started less than 12 months before you became gainfully self-employed and you are taking steps to increase your earnings to the level you need.

If you work for an employer and are also self-employed

If you work for an employer and are also self-employed you may not have to attend interviews with your work coach. This will depend on your earnings.