The DWP has admitted making up comments from supposed benefit claimants that appeared in a leaflet about benefit sanctions.
The leaflet, which has now been withdrawn, included positive example stories from people who claimed to have interacted with the sanctions system.
In one example, titled "Sarah's story", a jobseeker is quoted as being "really pleased" that a cut to her benefits supposedly encouraged her to re-draft her CV.
Another, by a benefit claimant supposedly called "Zac", details the sanctions system working well.
However in response to a freedom of information request by the Welfare Weekly website the DWP admits that the quotes were not actually real cases and that the photos were not of real claimants:
“The photos used are stock photos and along with the names do not belong to real claimants. The stories are for illustrative purposes only," the department said.
The leaflet, a copy of which is available in full @ www.welfareweekly.com , contains no suggestion that the stories are not real.
For more information see -http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/dwp-admits-making-up-quotes-by-benefit-claimants-saying-sanctions-helped-them-10460351.html
The sanctions system has been criticised for causing extreme hardship and being operated in an unfair and arbitrary way.
In March 2015 the Work and Pensions Committee called for a full independent review to investigate whether benefit sanctions are being applied appropriately, fairly and proportionately, across the Jobcentre Plus network.