What to do if my Universal Credit is sanctioned
What is a sanction?
In return for receiving Universal Credit you will need to do certain things. This may include looking and preparing for work, attending appointments with your work coach. What is asked of you will depend on your situation and will be recorded in your Claimant Commitment. If you fail to do what you have agreed in your claimant commitment without good reason, or without notifying the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), your Universal Credit payments may be reduced for a set period. This is known as a sanction.
Appealing a Sanction
If you receive a sanction and you think this is wrong, contact the DWP within one month of the decision to say why you disagree. Ask for the decision to be looked at again. This is known as a mandatory reconsideration.
The DWP will send you a letter once they have looked at the decision again. The decision may have been changed. If it hasn't they will explain why not. The letter will tell you how you can appeal to a tribunal if you are still unhappy with the decision