When introducing the idea of a 3-year sanction the Tory`s
were quick to assure the public that only the worst of the worst kind of
criminal would receive one of these sanctions but what do we see here but 120
disabled people tortured under this regime.
3-year benefit ban hits 120 disabled people under new sanctions regime
The DWP has today published new data on the use of sanctions for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants. It is the first data that covers new sanctions regimes that commenced for JSA in October 2012, and for ESA in December 2012.
Key points from today’s new data include:
• 120 disabled people who had been receiving Jobseekers Allowance have been given a 3-year fixed duration sanction since October 2012.
• Since the new JSA sanctions regime started in October last year, sanctions referrals to decision makers have increased by 30%. This follows a doubling of referrals that had already occurred under the Coalition.
• Since the new JSA sanctions regime started, the number of sanctions applied has increased 13%. This follows a more than doubling of sanctions (increase of 126%) that had already occurred under the Coalition.
• First infringement sanctions have doubled in length from to fixed mandatory 4 weeks for minor failures for JSA claimants (e.g. being late for an appointment).
• 53% of reconsideration requests and appeals against JSA sanctions are successful.
• DWP have not yet published any evidence to suggest that a harsh sanction regime has long term benefits for getting claimants into work.
Tim Nichols, a spokesperson for Child Poverty Action Group, said:
“The sanctions regime is an unfolding scandal that is doing tremendous damage to jobseekers and disabled people, even when they are trying to do the right thing.
“Sanctions are meant to have a positive effect on behaviour, so if the system was working their use would be falling as claimants develop positive relationships with Jobcentre and Work Programme advisers and do all the activities needed. Instead, the system has become an unhelpful bureaucratic nightmare, with Jobcentres setting targets to arbitrarily push up the numbers of people hit with a sanction.
“Claimants are finding it increasingly confusing to understand what the sanctions regime expects of them, and many sanctions appear to happen when people are trying to do the right thing, but they just cannot find their way through the unhelpful and chaotic bureaucracy of Jobcentres and the Work Programme.
“The result is demand on foodbanks surging from people whose claims are stopped for weeks, months and even years. Since June last year 120 disabled people have been banned from benefits for a fixed 3 year period, without a systematic safeguard of full case reviews before it reaches that point. Instead of helping people, many claimants are finding that Jobcentres are becoming like a Kafkaesque nightmare. The government should urgently investigate what the consequences are for the children and families of people being failed by this cruel regime.”
CPAG
3-year benefit ban hits 120 disabled people under new sanctions regime
The DWP has today published new data on the use of sanctions for Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) claimants. It is the first data that covers new sanctions regimes that commenced for JSA in October 2012, and for ESA in December 2012.
Key points from today’s new data include:
• 120 disabled people who had been receiving Jobseekers Allowance have been given a 3-year fixed duration sanction since October 2012.
• Since the new JSA sanctions regime started in October last year, sanctions referrals to decision makers have increased by 30%. This follows a doubling of referrals that had already occurred under the Coalition.
• Since the new JSA sanctions regime started, the number of sanctions applied has increased 13%. This follows a more than doubling of sanctions (increase of 126%) that had already occurred under the Coalition.
• First infringement sanctions have doubled in length from to fixed mandatory 4 weeks for minor failures for JSA claimants (e.g. being late for an appointment).
• 53% of reconsideration requests and appeals against JSA sanctions are successful.
• DWP have not yet published any evidence to suggest that a harsh sanction regime has long term benefits for getting claimants into work.
Tim Nichols, a spokesperson for Child Poverty Action Group, said:
“The sanctions regime is an unfolding scandal that is doing tremendous damage to jobseekers and disabled people, even when they are trying to do the right thing.
“Sanctions are meant to have a positive effect on behaviour, so if the system was working their use would be falling as claimants develop positive relationships with Jobcentre and Work Programme advisers and do all the activities needed. Instead, the system has become an unhelpful bureaucratic nightmare, with Jobcentres setting targets to arbitrarily push up the numbers of people hit with a sanction.
“Claimants are finding it increasingly confusing to understand what the sanctions regime expects of them, and many sanctions appear to happen when people are trying to do the right thing, but they just cannot find their way through the unhelpful and chaotic bureaucracy of Jobcentres and the Work Programme.
“The result is demand on foodbanks surging from people whose claims are stopped for weeks, months and even years. Since June last year 120 disabled people have been banned from benefits for a fixed 3 year period, without a systematic safeguard of full case reviews before it reaches that point. Instead of helping people, many claimants are finding that Jobcentres are becoming like a Kafkaesque nightmare. The government should urgently investigate what the consequences are for the children and families of people being failed by this cruel regime.”
CPAG
