Universal Credit Recoverable Hardship Payments (RHPs)
If your Universal Credit is reduced because of a sanction or penalty for fraud, you can apply for a hardship payment to help meet your immediate basic essential needs.
Applies to England, Scotland and Wales
You바카라 사이트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:
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you바카라 사이트檝e been sanctioned and had your Universal Credit payment reduced at 100% of your standard allowance (50% or more if you바카라 사이트檙e in a couple)
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you바카라 사이트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
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you바카라 사이트檙e struggling to meet your immediate basic essential needs, or those of a child or young person you바카라 사이트檙e responsible for
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you바카라 사이트檝e looked into all possible alternative sources of support听
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you바카라 사이트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
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the 바카라 사이트榗ompliance condition바카라 사이트� for any听바카라 사이트榣ow-level바카라 사이트� sanction 바카라 사이트� 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 you바카라 사이트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.
贰虫补尘辫濒别:听
Geoff is a single claimant aged over 25.
On 1 May, Geoff is sanctioned.
As Geoff is a single claimant over 25, his latest Universal Credit payment was reduced by 拢10.40 a day due to this sanction.
His Universal Credit was reduced by a total of 拢312 (30 days at 拢10.40 a day).
He applies for a hardship payment on 5 May, and is eligible.
His hardship payment daily rate is 60% of (拢312 x 12)/365. This is 拢6.15 a day.
His next Universal Credit payment is due in 26 days.
The total hardship payment he can get for 25 days is 25 x 拢6.15. A total of 拢153.75.
When to apply听
You can only apply once you바카라 사이트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
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ask your Universal Credit contact at your local jobcentre 바카라 사이트� your 바카라 사이트榳ork coach바카라 사이트櫶�
-
use your online journal听
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contact the Universal Credit helpline听
During the application process, you바카라 사이트檒l need to tell us:听听
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what you바카라 사이트檝e done to find other sources of money听
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what other income or savings you might have to help pay your costs听
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what you바카라 사이트檝e done to reduce your non-essential costs听
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which living costs you바카라 사이트檙e unable to meet听
If you바카라 사이트檙e in a couple, both of you must:听听
-
agree to accept the offer of a hardship payment听
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accept that the hardship payment is repayable
When you바카라 사이트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
You바카라 사이트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
Example听
Ella received a hardship payment of 拢215.25.
Ella바카라 사이트檚 standard allowance is usually 拢400.14 a month.
To repay her hardship payment her Universal Credit is reduced by 15% of her standard allowance.
Her Universal Credit payment will be reduced by 拢60.02 a month (15% of 拢400.14) until she pays it off entirely.
It will take her 4 months to pay off the hardship payment of 拢215.25, paying 拢60.02 in months 1, 2 and 3, and 拢35.19 in month 4.
Repaying if you no longer claim Universal Credit听
If you바카라 사이트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 0647바카라 사이트�
Textphone: 0800 916 0651
바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트� 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 you바카라 사이트檙e not eligible for a hardship payment, you may be able to get a Budgeting Advance or other financial help and support.
Updates to this page
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The most that can be taken from your Universal Credit payment to repay a hardship payment has changed from 25% to 15% of your Universal Credit standard allowance.
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Updating Welsh to match recent changes to English
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First published.