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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Covid-19 issues  →  Thread

UC, shielding and sanctions

Darren
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Welfare benefits - Disability Law Service, London

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Total Posts: 37

Joined: 29 July 2019

Hi,

My client is on Universal Credit and has received a letter saying he should shield for November and December. He wants to know if he could get sanctioned if he doesn’t look for work.

I’ve recommended that he ask his work coach to amend his claimant commitment based on the letter he received, but does anyone know if there are any government guidelines that will help protect him from being sanctioned whilst he is shielding?

Thanks

[ Edited: 19 Jul 2022 at 10:21 am by Darren ]
Ianb
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Macmillan benefits team, Citizens Advice Bristol

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Joined: 24 November 2017

Can’t see why advice to shield would remove a need to work search. Many people are working from home. It would be reasonable to exclude an expectation to apply for certain immediate jobs such as temporary jobs in supermarkets over the Christmas period..
More generally looking for a job now might not be due to start until January or even later.

Va1der
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Welfare Rights Officer with SWAMP Glasgow

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Joined: 7 May 2019

I don’t know.

Might come under the ‘treated as LCW due to specific illness putting the claimant at risk etc’ regs. Did we ever get any clarification on this?

Darren
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Welfare benefits - Disability Law Service, London

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Total Posts: 37

Joined: 29 July 2019

Ianb - 10 December 2020 02:00 PM

Can’t see why advice to shield would remove a need to work search. Many people are working from home. It would be reasonable to exclude an expectation to apply for certain immediate jobs such as temporary jobs in supermarkets over the Christmas period..
More generally looking for a job now might not be due to start until January or even later.

Thanks, good point