Traffic light system in other languages and alternate formats

When you're on a benefit, there are things you or your partner need to do (your obligations). We have a traffic light colour system to help you stay on track with some of your obligations.

Most people who get Supported Living Payment are not in the traffic light system.

The traffic light system lets you know where you're at and what you need to do.

If you're at green, you're on track and meeting your obligations.

You'll move to orange if you don't meet your obligations and you don't have a good reason. This means you need to contact us straight away. If you don't contact us and get back on track within 5 working days, you'll move to red.

Once you're at red, your benefit will reduce or stop. This means you need to contact us immediately to get back on track.

If there's any reason why you can't meet your obligations, talk with us straight away. If you haven't been in touch, we'll try and contact you before you move to orange, to find out why you haven't met your obligations.

We'll send you a letter to let you know if you're at orange or red. From early October, you'll also see in MyMSD if you're at orange or red.

You'll be in the traffic light system if you have work-related and/or social obligations. These are:

• find or prepare for work
• take part in Work Ability Assessments, to help us understand what kind of work you can do
• take part in activities with our service providers, to find a job or prepare for work
• social obligations (when taking care of dependent children).

You or your partner will have work-related and/or social obligations if you get one of these benefits:

• Jobseeker Support, or
• Sole Parent Support

You or your partner may have work-related and/or social obligations if you get either:

• Emergency Benefit, or
• Emergency Maintenance Allowance.

You will have other obligations as well. To find out what happens if you or your partner don't meet your other obligations, see 'When you don't meet your obligations'.

Most people who get Supported Living Payment are not in the traffic light system. This is because you do not have an obligation to find work.

You will only be in the traffic light system if:

• you're taking care of dependent children, because this means you have social obligations (to make sure children get health checks and education)
• it has been assessed you can prepare for work and we have discussed this with you (very few people have this), or
• we've asked you to take part in a Work Ability Assessment or to work with a contracted service provider (very few people are asked to do this).

If you have a partner, their obligations are likely to be different. This means they could be included in the traffic light system, even if you're not.