Benefit sanctions evidence

I am very confused about the debate over benefit sanctions. If you read what the tories and the right wing press state. Its that sanctions are only a last resort and are fair.

If however you listen to the left they say they are being used to penalise the unemployed and are being used unfairly.

However there is no evidence of either. The job centres quite rightly wont give out personal information so the only time we know there is a problem when someone winges and complains.

Are benefit sanctions being used unfairly? I dont know since I've not signed on in years I just dont know. What do people think? Is there examples of them not being used fairly?

I am very confused about the debate over benefit sanctions. If you read what the tories and the right wing press state. Its that sanctions are only a last resort and are fair.

 

If however you listen to the left they say they are being used to penalise the unemployed and are being used unfairly.

 

However there is no evidence of either. The job centres quite rightly wont give out personal information so the only time we know there is a problem when someone winges and complains.

 

Are benefit sanctions being used unfairly? I dont know since I've not signed on in years I just dont know. What do people think? Is there examples of them not being used fairly?

Listen to the people being sanctioned not political parties.

I read an account of one former dwp employee who said they had quotas to meet and briefings were about aggresively sanctioning claimants.

This is nearly 10 years ago but they were going to sanction me for not going for a job they chose for me. I had a job lined up to start the next week. They stopped my money, which meant I couldn't go to my new job.

I appealed, won and got the benefit back for the few days so I could go to work. They admitted there were targets then, I would say it's still the same now.

This is nearly 10 years ago but they were going to sanction me for not going for a job they chose for me. I had a job lined up to start the next week. They stopped my money, which meant I couldn't go to my new job.

 

I appealed, won and got the benefit back for the few days so I could go to work. They admitted there were targets then, I would say it's still the same now.

DWP are trigger happy. I've claimed dole years ago and been sanctioned. I seem to remember it was because I didn't apply for a job they recommended. When infact the job had stopped taking applicants.

Firstly I flat out refused to sign a form signing over my rights, then I had to fight it via my MP because it was unfair. I got the sanction overturned in the end.

I am very confused about the debate over benefit sanctions. If you read what the tories and the right wing press state. Its that sanctions are only a last resort and are fair.

 

If however you listen to the left they say they are being used to penalise the unemployed and are being used unfairly.

 

However there is no evidence of either. The job centres quite rightly wont give out personal information so the only time we know there is a problem when someone winges and complains.

 

Are benefit sanctions being used unfairly? I dont know since I've not signed on in years I just dont know. What do people think? Is there examples of them not being used fairly?

There's no end of anecdotal evidence on here, but if you aren't willing to accept that then,all things being equal, the only 'proof' you can have is when it happens to you personally, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But look at the world around you and what is happening. Look at a few other figures - homelessness for instance, mental health isues, hospitals, housing,...

Take the budget for example. Sounded fine didn't it? But dig a bit deeper - why was there no mention of cuts? The NHS? Many of the things that really matter to the working man? Because there's an election in a few weeks, that's why.

If the Tories are re-elected the cuts will come thick and fast believe me. Where do you think they'll come from? Not from the Tories' croney's pockets that's for sure.

They aren't called 'the nasty party' for nothing...

We don't punish criminals by starving them, yet we think it right to take the last little bit of income off some of the poorest people when they're unemployed. It's a damn disgrace.

Large numbers of people have been affected, it`s not just a few.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/thousands-of-young-people-forced-to-go-without-food-after-benefits-wrongly-stopped-under-draconian-new-sanctions-regime-9162844.html

I am very confused about the debate over benefit sanctions. If you read what the tories and the right wing press state. Its that sanctions are only a last resort and are fair.

Yet nearly a million people are on sanctions at any one time, nearly a third of the unemployed. Does that sound like a last resort to you? It does however reduce the unemployment figures nicely...

Remember Job centres have to work to targets.

Get X number off unemployment every month or else...

So they resort to sanctioning people for no real reason. Does that sound fair to you?

I have just finished a one month mandatory work placement, I had to do this even though at the time I was on a four week sanction because four weeks earlier I had been on another mandatory work program and because it was education based i really struggled with it.

In the end both I and the course provider decided the best option was for me to return to the job centre.

After a week i was informed that my claim had been put into doubt because i had returned to the job centre without completing the course. I explained that both partied had agreed that i was just not up to completing the course. The provider has a target of a 100 percent pass rate.

The job centre took no notice what so ever and in due course i was sanctioned.

I appealed and this was turned down.

I asked for a mandatory reconsideration, this means that they have to pass the case on to an independent aduediqater (wrong spelling i know).

Two months later I am still waiting for the proper paper work from them to continue this second appeal.

In the mean time I attended my four week work placement where i found my that three of my fellow work mates who where there on mandatory work placement had also been sanctioned in the last two months. two of them for thirteen weeks. they were desperate, coming to work unable to bring money for food or even sandwiches.

I had been lucky enough to receive a food parcel from the local food bank. I gladly shared what i could with them ( mostly jam sandwiches)

Is this how people should be treated?, when they are down, kick them even more??

There's no end of anecdotal evidence on here, but if you aren't willing to accept that then,all things being equal, the only 'proof' you can have is when it happens to you personally, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But look at the world around you and what is happening. Look at a few other figures - homelessness for instance, mental health isues, hospitals, housing,...

 

Take the budget for example. Sounded fine didn't it? But dig a bit deeper - why was there no mention of cuts? The NHS? Many of the things that really matter to the working man? Because there's an election in a few weeks, that's why.

 

If the Tories are re-elected the cuts will come thick and fast believe me. Where do you think they'll come from? Not from the Tories' croney's pockets that's for sure.

 

They aren't called 'the nasty party' for nothing...

They did say that they would continue to clamp down on tax evasion and aggressive avoidance. Like they have been doing.

There's no end of anecdotal evidence on here, but if you aren't willing to accept that then,all things being equal, the only 'proof' you can have is when it happens to you personally, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. But look at the world around you and what is happening. Look at a few other figures - homelessness for instance, mental health isues, hospitals, housing,...

 

Take the budget for example. Sounded fine didn't it? But dig a bit deeper - why was there no mention of cuts? The NHS? Many of the things that really matter to the working man? Because there's an election in a few weeks, that's why.

 

If the Tories are re-elected the cuts will come thick and fast believe me. Where do you think they'll come from? Not from the Tories' croney's pockets that's for sure.

 

They aren't called 'the nasty party' for nothing...

But.. Dont forget that the implementation of sanctions was bought in by a Labour Government and the nasty party are only carrying on with their policy.

But.. Dont forget that the implementation of sanctions was bought in by a Labour Government and the nasty party are only carrying on with their policy.

It is the way they are being implemented that is the problem, and that is under the draconian instructions of the Tories.