Published: 1st September 2021 Universal Credit claimants can now apply for the repayment of hardship payments (loans that you can apply for if you have been sanctioned and are at risk of hardship) to be waived or repaid, as set out in this open letter from the Department of Work and Pensions. Read the DWP’s open letter Read the sealed consent order Following a successful judicial review brought by PLP’s client last year, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) confirmed that it has a discretion to waive hardship payment debt and has changed the guidance issued to work coaches and other DWP staff. The DWP has now written an open letter to PLP explaining how Universal Credit (UC) claimants can apply for recoverable hardship payments after a sanction, and the process by which claimants can request that the recovery of hardship payments are waived. Getting hardship payment debt waived PLP has produced a note on how to request waiver of hardship payment debt and what to do if the DWP refuses. Read the note Claimant Commitment If you claim benefits or work with benefit claimants, take a look at our Claimant Commitment micro-site to help ensure that your Claimant Commitment is tailored to your individual circumstances. Getting the claimant commitment right can reduce the likelihood of unfair sanctioning.