Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what his policy is on universal credit claimant sanctioning for (a) refusing an offer of a zero-hours contract and (b) leaving a zero-hours contract voluntarily.

Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants are not required to apply for zero-hours contract jobs. They cannot be sanctioned for refusing an offer of a zero-hours contract job or for leaving such employment voluntarily.

Universal Credit payments adjust automatically depending on the amount a claimant earns, so that a claimant whose hours may change are financially supported and do not need to switch their benefit claim. Therefore, a Universal Credit claimant can be expected to apply for a zero-hours contract job if it considered suitable for their individual circumstances. If there is no good reason that a Universal Credit claimant cannot take a zero-hours contract job they may be sanctioned for not doing so.

A Universal Credit claimant may still be sanctioned if they do not have good reason for leaving a zero-hours contract job voluntarily.