Over 561,630 claimants were penalised for not attending mandatory interviews with work coaches at Jobcentres.
Warning for DWP Universal Credit claimants as 622,000 payments get stopped
An eye-watering 622,000 payments have been stopped by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). A staggering number on DWP benefits have seen Universal Credit payments cut or stopped in the past 17 months.
622,000 people were sanctioned between February 2024 and July 2025, data shows. Over 561,630 claimants were penalised for not attending mandatory interviews with work coaches at Jobcentres.
18,900 had their payments cut for missing employment programmes. And Labour Party and DWP figures show 9,380 were sanctioned for not providing a valid reason for quitting a job, with the latest sanction rate at five per cent for claimants.
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To get Universal Credit payments, you’ll need to accept an agreement called a ‘claimant commitment’. This includes ‘work-related requirements’ – any work-related activities you must complete to receive Universal Credit.
What you must do will depend on your circumstances. It could include appointments with your work coach and updating your CV or searching for jobs.
You must do everything you agree to as part of your commitment or your payment may be reduced. This is called a sanction.
Make sure you understand all the things you must do to receive Universal Credit and what will happen if you do not complete one or more of your work-related activities to avoid a sanction.
To avoid a sanction you must do all the things you’ve agreed to as part of your claimant commitment, such as going to all Universal Credit appointments on time and taking part in interviews.
You should also be doing everything you have agreed to do to find work, such as taking part in training courses and applying for suitable jobs, the DWP says.
If you’re not able to do the things in your claimant commitment, you must contact the DWP straight away by adding a note to your journal in your Universal Credit account, or using the contact details provided by your work coach.
If you get a sanction, your next Universal Credit payment, or series of payments, will be reduced. You’ll get a journal message in your Universal Credit account or a letter telling you.
