An unpaid work requirement is principally imposed as part of a community sentence under the Sentencing Code. Paragraph 1 and 2 of Schedule 9 to the Code, defines an unpaid work requirement as a requirement that the offender must perform unpaid work in accordance with the instructions by the responsible officer as to the work to be performed, and the times, during a 12-month period within which the work must be performed by the offender. By section 220 of the Code a community order ceases to be in force at the end date of the order, or if later, when an unpaid work requirement imposed by the order has been completed. Under section 288 of the Code, where a suspended sentence order includes an unpaid work requirement the supervision period specified in the order continues beyond the end of the operational period of the order.
	This measure introduces an automatic reduction to the total number of unpaid work hours specified in a community order or suspended sentence order that an offender is required to perform where it imposes an unpaid work requirement, when an offender demonstrates compliance with their UPW requirement. To be eligible for this reduction, offenders will need to successfully complete a qualifying period, and demonstrate sustained compliance with the unpaid work requirement.
Legal background Part 2: Management of offenders after sentencing Community order requirements and community requirements Number of hours work required by unpaid work requirement