Funded employment scheme extension added to universal credit reclaims rule

New paragraphs 32A(3) and 32A(4) were inserted into the Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations 2013 on 22 September 2026¹. The insertion was made by The Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2026 (S.I. 2026/946)¹.

Regulation 32A itself was inserted into the 2013 Regulations on 21.5.2020 by The Universal Credit (Coronavirus) (Self-employed Claimants and Reclaims) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/522)¹.

The 2013 Regulations set out how claims are made. Except as provided in regulation 1(2), a claim for universal credit must be made by electronic communication in accordance with Schedule 2 and completed in accordance with instructions given by the Secretary of State¹. A claim may alternatively be made in writing on a form authorised by the Secretary of State and completed in accordance with the instructions on the form¹. Where a claim is defective, it must be corrected within one month, or such longer period as the Secretary of State considers reasonable, from the date the claimant is first informed of the defect¹.

The published text of the 2013 Regulations states that it is up to date with all changes known to be in force on or before 27 September 2026, and that there are changes that may be brought into force at a future date¹. The text also records that regulation 47(4) to (6) is excluded by the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018, section 94(3), an effect yet to be applied to the text¹.

The detail of what the funded employment scheme extension does, which claimants it covers and how reclaims are treated under the new paragraphs has not been reported in the text of the amending instrument. The 2013 Regulations as published do not set out the wording of paragraphs 32A(3) and 32A(4) in the material available.

Why it matters for households

Universal credit claims are normally made online, and the date a claim is made determines the start of the first assessment period and therefore when payments begin¹. The 2013 Regulations allow the Secretary of State to extend the time for claiming up to and including the day that would be the last day of the first assessment period for an award beginning on the first day in respect of which the claim is made¹. A claimant who is late, or whose claim is defective, has one month from being told of the defect, or such longer period as the Secretary of State considers reasonable, to put it right¹.

Anyone whose universal credit claim interacts with a funded employment scheme, or who is making a reclaim, is affected by the change from 22 September 2026¹. The practical effect on payment dates, on the treatment of a reclaim and on any work-related requirements has not been reported.

What happens next

The insertion took effect on 22 September 2026¹. The published version of the 2013 Regulations notes that further changes may be brought into force at a future date¹. No commencement date for those outstanding changes is given in the text.

Claims and payment dates for Universal Credit sit alongside the rules on how Universal Credit is worked out, repaying a Universal Credit Advance and Universal Credit sanctions. The same 2013 Regulations also cover claims for Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance and jobseeker's allowance.