ALMOST one in five Scots who claimed jobseeker’s allowance last year had their benefits stopped for failing to turn up to meetings to help them find work, new figures have ¬revealed.
More than 22,000 claimants received a sanction on their jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) after failing to meet the conditions that allow them to receive the £71-a-week benefit.
The figures have reinforced fears that there is a hard core of benefits claimants happy to “simply sit back” and make no attempt to find work.
It means that 16 per cent of the 135,000 people who claimed JSA last year were reprimanded for either ¬failing or refusing to meet Jobcentre staff to discuss how they would get back into employment.
Before tough new conditions on claiming JSA were imposed last year by the UK Government, this figure was as high as 30 per cent in 2010 and 2011.
Claimants can now face higher level sanctions for leaving work voluntarily, ¬being fired for misconduct or refusing to take part in mandatory work activities.
Express
More than 22,000 claimants received a sanction on their jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) after failing to meet the conditions that allow them to receive the £71-a-week benefit.
The figures have reinforced fears that there is a hard core of benefits claimants happy to “simply sit back” and make no attempt to find work.
It means that 16 per cent of the 135,000 people who claimed JSA last year were reprimanded for either ¬failing or refusing to meet Jobcentre staff to discuss how they would get back into employment.
Before tough new conditions on claiming JSA were imposed last year by the UK Government, this figure was as high as 30 per cent in 2010 and 2011.
Claimants can now face higher level sanctions for leaving work voluntarily, ¬being fired for misconduct or refusing to take part in mandatory work activities.
Express
