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You鈥檒l need to pay back a hardship payment once your sanction or fraud penalty has ended.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a hardship payment, you must meet all the following:

• you鈥檝e been sanctioned and had your Universal Credit payment reduced at 100% of your standard allowance (50% or more if you鈥檙e in a couple)

• you鈥檙e aged 18 or over if your payment is reduced听because of听a sanction,听or听aged听16听or over听if your听payment is reduced because of a fraud penalty

• you鈥檙e struggling to meet your immediate basic essential needs, or those of a child or young person you鈥檙e responsible for

• you鈥檝e looked into all possible alternative sources of support听

• you鈥檝e taken all reasonable action to reduce non-essential costs

Immediate basic essential needs are:

• food
• heating
• hygiene
• housing costs not provided by Universal Credit

To apply for a hardship payment, you must be able to prove you cannot meet these needs.

A sanctioned single claimant or both members of a sanctioned couple must have met:听

• all their work-related requirements in the 7 days before they apply for the hardship payment听

• the 鈥榗ompliance condition鈥� for any听鈥榣ow-level鈥� sanction 鈥� what听they听were asked听to听do to听end听a听sanction with no end date

You can apply听if your latest payment听was reduced at 100% (or 50% or more for a couple) of your standard allowance for only part of your last听assessment period.听

For example, if your last payment was only reduced for 20 days, rather than for a whole month, you can still apply for a hardship payment at the point you cannot meet your immediate basic essential needs.听听听

When you cannot get a hardship payment

You cannot usually get a hardship payment if you are simply short of money or need to pay for an urgent expense.听

You are not eligible for a hardship payment if your Universal Credit is sanctioned at the lower rate. The lower rate is 40% of your daily standard allowance, or 20% of your daily standard allowance if you鈥檙e in a couple.

How much you could get听

We work out a daily rate for your hardship payment. This is 60% of the amount of your sanction. The amount of hardship payment you can get is the daily rate multiplied by the number of days the sanction lasts.听

You can only get one hardship payment in each听assessment period.

When to apply听

You can only apply once you鈥檝e received a Universal Credit payment for less than you would normally because of a sanction or penalty.听听

A separate application must be made for each assessment period you receive a reduced payment, or no payment, and are still in hardship.

If your next Universal Credit payment is due in 7 days or less

You can increase the number of days you can get a hardship payment for if your next Universal Credit payment is due in 7 days or less. It can be extended to whichever of these is the earliest date:听听

• the day before payment for the following month is due听

• when the sanction or penalty ends

How to apply听

To apply, you can:听

• ask your Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre 鈥� your 鈥榳ork coach鈥櫶�

• use your online journal听

• contact the Universal Credit helpline听

During the application process, you鈥檒l need to tell us:听听

• what you鈥檝e done to find other sources of money听

• what other income or savings you might have to help pay your costs听

• what you鈥檝e done to reduce your non-essential costs听

• which living costs you鈥檙e unable to meet听

If you鈥檙e in a couple, both of you must:听听

• agree to accept the offer of a hardship payment听

• accept that the hardship payment is repayable

When you鈥檒l get your payment听

If your application is accepted, hardship payments are usually paid directly into your bank account on the same day.听

Repaying hardship payments

You鈥檒l need to pay back a hardship payment once your sanction or fraud penalty has ended.听

Your Universal Credit payment will be automatically reduced by up to 15% of your standard allowance until you repay the hardship payment. The standard allowance is the basic amount of Universal Credit you get, not including extra amounts for things like housing.听

Repaying if you no longer claim Universal Credit听

If you鈥檙e no longer claiming Universal Credit, DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) Debt Management will be in touch to discuss repaying it at an affordable rate.听

Struggling to repay a hardship payment听

If you cannot afford your hardship payment deductions, you can call DWP Debt Management to discuss your options.听听

Call DWP Debt Management to talk about your options:听

DWP Debt Management
Telephone: 0800 916 0647鈥�
Textphone: 0800 916 0651
鈥�鈥� if you cannot hear or speak on the phone: 18001 then 0800 916 0647
Calling from abroad: +44 (0)161 904 1233
Monday to Friday, 8am to 7.30pm
Find out about call charges听

Other financial help听

If you鈥檙e not eligible for a hardship payment, you may be able to get a Budgeting Advance or other financial help and support.