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Welfare Benefits Handbook 2026/27
This content was last updated:
22 Jul 2026
Part 6: National insurance, work and work-related rules
Welfare Benefits Handbook 2026/27
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Part 6: National insurance, work and work-related rules
Back to previous
Part 6: National insurance, work and work-related rules
Chapter 38: National insurance contributions and credits
Key facts
1. Introduction: national insurance and contributory benefits
How decisions are made
2. Paid national insurance contributions
The rules about your age
Employed earners and self-employed earners
More than one job
Class 1 contributions
Class 2 contributions
Class 2 contributions and maternity allowance
Class 3 contributions
Class 3A contributions
Class 4 contributions
Reduced liability for married women and widows
Coming from abroad and going abroad
Improving your contribution record
Timing of contribution payments
Due dates for contributions
Late payment of contributions
3. National insurance credits
Credits for unemployment
Credits for limited capability for work or incapacity for work
Credits for universal credit
Credits for parents and carers
Credits for home responsibilities protection
Credits for family members providing childcare
Starting credits
Education and training credits
Credits for statutory maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental, parental bereavement and neonatal care pay
Credits for jury service
Credits following bereavement
Credits for tax credits
Credits for a quashed conviction
Credits for service families
4. Contribution conditions for benefits
Jobseeker's allowance and employment and support allowance
When the contribution conditions do not apply
The first condition: paid contributions
The second condition: paid or credited contributions
The timing of your claim
Bereavement support payment
Widowed parent's allowance
Retirement pensions
State pension
Chapter 39: Work and benefits
Key facts
1. Paid work, full-time paid work and hours
Universal credit
New-style jobseeker's allowance, pension credit and housing benefit
Paid work
Full-time paid work
Hours
2. How work affects universal credit
3. How work affects new-style jobseeker's allowance, pension credit and housing benefit
New-style jobseeker's allowance
Pension credit
Housing benefit
4. How work affects non-means-tested benefits
5. People involved in trade disputes
Universal credit
New-style jobseeker's allowance, pension credit and housing benefit
New-style jobseeker's allowance
Pension credit and housing benefit
Non-dependants
Benefits paid to you by your employer
Statutory sick pay
Statutory maternity, adoption, paternity, shared parental, parental bereavement and neonatal care pay
Social fund payments
Sure Start and Best Start schemes
Chapter 40: Limited capability for work
Key facts
1. The work capability assessment
Treated as having limited capability for work
Universal credit
Employment and support allowance
Exceptional circumstances
Treated as not having limited capability for work
Universal credit
New-style employment and support allowance
Scoring points
Good days and bad days, pain and tiredness
Physical disabilities
Mental disabilities
Limited capability for work-related activity
Assessing limited capability for work-related activity
Treated as having limited capability for work-related activity
The work capability assessment process
Reassessments
The WCA50 questionnaire
Medical assessments
The decision
2. Challenging a decision
Getting benefit while challenging a decision
Getting new-style employment and support allowance while appealing
Getting new-style jobseeker's allowance while challenging a decision
Getting universal credit while challenging a decision
If your condition worsens
3. Periods of limited capability for work
Linking rules
4. Work you can do while claiming new-style employment and support allowance
Permitted work
Chapter 41: Universal credit system work-related requirements
Key facts
1. The claimant commitment
Accepting your claimant commitment
Reviewing your claimant commitment
2. The work-related requirements
Work-focused interviews
Work preparation
If you have a disability
If you are aged 16 to 24
Work search
All reasonable action
Work availability
Able and willing to take up work or attend an interview immediately
Limitations on availability and search for work
The type of work and rate of pay
The number of hours
The location of the work
The effect of the rules on minimum working conditions
Other interviews
3. Which requirements apply
No work-related requirements
Domestic violence or abuse
Looking after children and other caring responsibilities
Sick and disabled people
You are earning enough
Other situations - pension-age claimants and claimants in education
Work-focused interview requirement only
Work-focused interview and work preparation requirement only
All work-related requirements
No work search or work availability requirement for a period
Other temporary circumstances
Chapter 42: Universal credit system sanctions
Key facts
1. When you can be sanctioned
High level sanctions
Failing to apply for or to accept paid work
Ceasing paid work or losing pay
Medium level sanctions
Low level sanctions
Lowest level sanctions
2. How your benefit is reduced
Universal credit
Employment and support allowance
Jobseeker's allowance
If your benefits change
3. The sanction period
Length of the sanction period
High level sanctions
Medium level sanctions
Low level sanctions
Lowest level sanctions
When the sanction period starts and ends
If you have more than one sanction at the same time
When a sanction is terminated
4. Good reasons for your actions
Circumstances that should be taken into account
Leaving a job or reducing your hours
Leaving or failing to participate in work preparation or work-related activity
Refusing or failing to apply for a job
5. Sanction decisions
People with complex needs
6. Challenging a sanction decision
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CPAG. "Part 6: National insurance, work and work-related rules." In
Welfare Benefits Handbook 2026/27.
, 2026. Accessed August 26, 2026.
CPAG,
https://askcpag.org.uk/?id=-270357CITANCHOR.
CPAG. "Part 6: National insurance, work and work-related rules." In
Welfare Benefits Handbook 2026/27.
, 2026. Accessed August 26, 2026. https://askcpag.org.uk/?id=-270357CITANCHOR.
Contributor(s):
CPAG
Title:
Welfare Benefits Handbook 2026/27
Site name:
CPAG
Publisher:
Publication date:
March 11, 2026
Date accessed:
August 26, 2026
URL:
https://askcpag.org.uk/?id=-270357CITANCHOR
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