Your work-search log
If you’re in the "all work-related requirements" group, DWP expect you to spend a certain number of hours a week looking for work — and to record what you’ve done so they can see it. This page explains what counts, what to log, and how to keep a log that protects you.
The single most important thing
Log it as you go, not the night before your work-coach appointment. Real-time entries are more believable, you don’t forget anything, and an empty week is much easier to explain if you flag it early in the journal.
The 35-hour expectation
The default for full-time jobseekers is 35 hours a week of work-search — but this is what your Claimant Commitment should set out for you. It can be lower for:
- Lead carer of a child (matched to school/childcare hours).
- Carer of a disabled person.
- A health condition that limits how many hours you can manage.
- Hours you already work (subtracted from 35).
If your commitment says 35 hours but your life can’t support it, this is the first thing to renegotiate — see the Claimant Commitment guide.
What counts as work-search
DWP count more than just submitting applications. Anything that takes you closer to paid work can count:
- Applying for jobs — submitting an application, sending a CV, completing an online form. (Most people’s biggest category.)
- Searching — time spent on Find a Job, Indeed, LinkedIn, agency sites, council job boards.
- Writing or updating your CV / cover letters.
- Researching — reading about employers, salaries, the local job market, training options.
- Networking — emailing former colleagues, posting on LinkedIn, going to a meetup.
- Speculative approaches — phoning or emailing employers who aren’t advertising.
- Training, qualifications, certificates — short courses, online learning, anything that improves your prospects.
- Travelling to interviews.
- Setting up to be findable — registering with agencies, completing skills profiles.
What doesn’t count: everyday admin (washing, childcare), unrelated hobbies, sleeping. But genuine prep that supports your search counts — be honest, not minimal.
How to record it
DWP let you record work-search in your UC journal directly, but a private log of your own is more flexible and makes appointments less stressful. The minimum useful columns:
| Date | Activity | Where / what | Time | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jun | Applied | Warehouse op., Acme Logistics (Find a Job ref 12345) | 45 min | Confirmation email |
| 3 Jun | Searched | Indeed + LinkedIn — driver roles within 1hr by bus | 1 hr | Saved searches |
| 4 Jun | Updated CV | Added forklift cert, reformatted for warehouse roles | 2 hr | Saved on Google Drive |
| 5 Jun | Training | Free Excel basics course, openlearn.com | 3 hr | Module 1 completed |
Aim for specifics: an employer name, a reference, a course title. "Searched online — 4 hours" tells DWP nothing and is exactly the kind of entry that triggers a sanction referral.
Evidence to keep
- Application confirmation emails — keep them in a single folder.
- Screenshots of saved job searches, applications-in-progress.
- Certificates from courses you complete.
- Travel tickets for interviews.
- Notes from networking / phone calls — date, who you spoke to, what was said.
You don’t have to hand evidence over by default — but if a sanction is proposed, evidence is what makes the difference between "we don’t believe you" and "good reason proven".
If you can’t do your hours this week
Real life happens — illness, childcare breakdown, a bad mental health week. Don’t hide it; tell your work coach in the journal as soon as you can.
- Short illness: a self-certification is fine for up to 7 days. After that you need a fit note from a GP.
- Persistent health issues: ask about a Work Capability Assessment.
- Caring breakdown / domestic emergency: tell your coach the day it happens.
A flagged-and-explained gap is "good reason"; an unexplained gap looks like non-compliance.