2.8% of universal credit (UC) claimants have been subject a sanction compared to 0.3% of people on jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) and 0.1% cent of people on employment and support allowance (ESA), according to new DWP statistics.
The DWP figures show that from May 2017 to April 2018, 359,000 UC claimants were referred for a sanction decision of which 71% related to attending or participating in work-focused interviews.
This compares to just 14.7% per cent for JSA claimants and 6.6% for ESA) claimants.
The latest statistics also show that 5% of UC sanctions lasted 27 weeks and over in comparison to just 1% of JSA sanctions and 9% of ESA sanctions.
DR UK’s Welfare Rights and Policy Adviser Ken Butler said -
“These new figures showing a doubling of sanctions under universal credit are really worrying.
Unlike ESA, under universal credit disabled people and those with long term health conditions are not treated as having a limited capability for work until they undergo a work capability assessment.
This means that a Jobcentre Work Coach can make ill-informed and ill-judged decisions about their fitness for work and capabilities that can lead to them being sanctioned.”
He added -
“There is no evidence that they are effective in incentivising disabled people to remain in touch with the job market or move into work
Sanctions are harmful. Given the extra costs that disabled people already face in their day-to-day lives, sanctions are particularly punitive.
Disabled people should get the specialist, tailored and flexible support they need to find and stay in work, rather than be subject to a regime that seems to be finding ways to get people off benefits. “
For more information see the DWP’s Benefit sanctions statistics to April 2018.
See also –
New report says sanctioning disabled people does not work and makes them ill
New DWP into work reports suggest softly softly approach works better than sanctions stick