Work-related requirements
Even if you are a student who can claim UC, you may have to meet certain ’work-related requirements’ in order to get UC. These are set out in a ‘claimant commitment’, drawn up by your work coach at the job centre. If it is not possible to do so while on your course, you may be given a sanction and your UC may be reduced. See CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook for more information about work-related requirements and sanctions.
There are no work-related requirements if you are receiving education and you are:
1Reg 89 UC Regs•under 22 (and were under 21 when you started your course), in non-advanced education and have no parental support; or
•eligible for UC as a student (unless you are eligible after having taken time out because of illness or caring responsibilities) and you get a student loan for maintenance, or a maintenance grant that is taken into account for UC. If your student income is a postgraduate master’s or doctoral degree loan, that only applies if your course is full-time. Note: this only applies during the period of the year in which your student income is taken into account. Normally, this is over the academic year (see Chapter 21). Over the summer vacation you may be subject to work-related requirements.
If you are not exempt from work-related requirements under the rules above and not exempt for any other reason (eg, because you have a child under one or you are severely disabled), you must meet your work-related requirements, otherwise you can be
sanctioned. This means that your UC is reduced by the level of your standard allowance (see
here). You may be able to challenge a sanction. If you are given a sanction, get advice as soon as possible.
Examples
Sukhi is a full-time postgraduate student studying for a postgraduate diploma in Wales. She is funding her course through her savings. She has a 12-year-old daughter. She claims UC. Because she is not in receipt of a student loan or grant, work-related requirements apply. If she cannot meet these, she may be given a sanction.
Sean is a lone parent with one child aged eight, studying a full-time Higher National Diploma course. He claims UC and does not have any work-related requirements applied because he gets a student loan. His long vacation started on 11 June 2021. For the assessment period covering 11 June and the next two assessment periods, which are wholly within his summer vacation, he is subject to work-related requirements. If Sean cannot meet these requirements, he may be sanctioned and his UC reduced.