Failing more than one obligation at the same time

If a client fails more than one obligation or activity at the same time and does not have a good and sufficient reason for one or more of the failures, the failures are counted as one failure. However, the client will need to recomply with all the failures before the sanction can be lifted.

Note Money Management is the only non-financial sanction that can be imposed when a client has failed more than one obligation at the same time at grade 1. A client must resolve all of these failures during the 4-week Money Management period in order to recomply.

For grade 1 and 2 failures, if the client successfully disputes one of the failures, the sanction imposed will remain until they recomply with any remaining failures initiated at the same time.

This policy only applies to the first and second time a client or partner fails their obligations in a 24-month period.

For grade 3 failures, a client will need to complete one 6-week approved activity or programme of activities (if they wish to recomply).

Note Disability Allowance can continue to be paid during a non-entitlement period.

The obligations or activities that a client or their partner has not complied with can be over a recent period (eg within the last five days) or they may not have been complied with all on the same day. However, the client or partner can only be required to recomply with failures that are initiated on the same day.

As soon as MSD is aware that a client or their partner has failed their obligations without a good and sufficient reason, MSD must initiate an obligations failure - it cannot be delayed.

For more information see:

• Work obligations - partner
• Work preparation obligations -partner
• Social obligations
• Drug test obligations - partner
• Recompliance
• Recomplying more than one failure