Finding that your benefit has suddenly stopped or been suspended is alarming, especially when you rely on it. But there is usually something you can do, and acting quickly is the key. This guide explains why benefits get stopped or suspended, the difference between the two, what to do about it, and how to get help with money in the meantime.
Stopped or suspended: the difference
It helps to know the difference. A suspension is usually temporary, often while the office waits for information from you or checks something, and your payments can start again once the issue is resolved. A benefit being stopped, or terminated, is a decision to end your entitlement. The two are handled differently, so the first thing to do is find out which has happened and why, rather than assuming the worst.
Common reasons
Benefits are stopped or suspended for many reasons. Common ones include not providing information that was asked for, missing an appointment or assessment, a change in your circumstances, the outcome of a reassessment, a gap in your fit notes, a sanction, a benefit reaching a time limit, or your savings or income changing. Sometimes it is simply an error. Identifying the reason is essential, because it determines what you need to do to put things right.
Find out why
Your first step is to find out exactly why your benefit has stopped. Check your online account or journal and any letters or messages, and contact the relevant office if it is not clear. Do not ignore it or wait for it to sort itself out. The sooner you understand the reason, the sooner you can act, whether that means providing information, challenging a decision, or sorting out a misunderstanding.
If it is about missing information
If your benefit was stopped or suspended because information or evidence was not provided, or an appointment was missed, the solution is often straightforward: provide what is needed, or explain why you could not attend, as soon as possible. In many cases the benefit is then reinstated. If you missed something because of illness, a crisis or a problem you could not avoid, explain this, as a good reason can make a real difference.
If it is a decision you disagree with
If your benefit was stopped because of a decision you disagree with, such as being found fit for work after an assessment, or a sanction, you can challenge it through a Mandatory Reconsideration and, if needed, an appeal. For some benefits, payments can continue at a basic rate while you challenge the decision. Get advice quickly, as these decisions are often successfully challenged, and there are time limits for doing so.
If you have been sanctioned
If your payment has been reduced or stopped because of a sanction, you can challenge it if you had a good reason for whatever led to it, and you may be able to get a hardship payment to help you manage in the meantime. Sanctions can often be overturned where there was a genuine reason, so do not simply accept one, and get advice about both challenging it and applying for hardship support.
Getting money in the meantime
If you are left without enough to live on while the problem is sorted out, there is emergency help. Depending on your situation, you may be able to get a hardship payment, an advance, help from your council's hardship fund, or support from a food bank or local charity. Do not go without essentials; ask an adviser to help you find emergency help while your benefit is being put right.
Check other benefits are not affected
When one benefit stops, it can sometimes affect others that are linked to it, such as passported help like free prescriptions, free school meals or Council Tax Reduction. If your main benefit stops, check whether anything else that depends on it is affected, so you can sort those out too. Keeping an eye on the knock-on effects helps you avoid losing other support without realising, and put everything right together.
Keep providing what is needed
If your benefit depends on you regularly providing something, such as fit notes for a health-related claim, make sure you keep doing so without gaps, as a missing fit note is a common reason for payments stopping. Diary the dates when things are due, and send them in promptly. Staying on top of these regular requirements is one of the simplest ways to avoid your benefit being interrupted in the first place.
Do not panic, but do act
A benefit stopping is stressful, but panicking rarely helps, whereas acting calmly and quickly usually does. Find out the reason, take the right step to put it right, get advice if you need it, and arrange emergency help if you are short in the meantime. Most situations where a benefit has stopped can be resolved or challenged, so focus on the practical steps rather than the worry, and get support to work through it.
Ask for things in writing
When you are sorting out why a benefit has stopped, it helps to get key things in writing, such as the reason for the decision and what you need to do. A written record, whether through your journal or a letter, means you have something to refer back to and to show an adviser. If you are told something important over the phone, make a note of who you spoke to and when, in case you need it later.
Time limits matter
If your benefit has stopped because of a decision and you want to challenge it, remember that there are time limits for asking for a Mandatory Reconsideration and for appealing. The clock usually starts from the date of the decision, so do not delay. Even while you are gathering evidence or getting advice, make sure you request the reconsideration within the time limit, as missing it can make challenging the decision much harder.
In short
If your benefit is stopped or suspended, find out why straight away through your journal, letters or by contacting the office. If it is about missing information or an appointment, provide it or explain promptly. If it is a decision you disagree with, challenge it and get advice. And if you are left short, look for hardship payments and other emergency help while it is resolved.
Most problems can be put right
The reassuring truth, which is worth holding onto when you are worried, is that the great majority of situations where a benefit has stopped or been suspended can be resolved one way or another, whether by providing what was needed, explaining a missed appointment, or challenging a decision. What matters is acting promptly and getting advice rather than giving up. If you take the right steps quickly and ask for help when you need it, a stopped benefit is usually a problem that can be sorted out rather than a permanent loss, even if it feels frightening when it first happens.
Where to get help
Citizens Advice and welfare rights services can help you find out why and put it right. See our guides to the Mandatory Reconsideration and Universal Credit sanctions.