One issue that people don’t seem to talk about is the people who are on probation for whatever reason and are sanctioned. One gentleman came to us yesterday when we made an impromptu visit to Ashton Jobcentre. He was angry and quite rightly so. This man had been in trouble with the police in the past and was now trying to get his life on the straight and narrow. He attends probation which he said that he likes, they are helping him. The only problem that he has is the Jobcentre. He’s been put on universal credit and the Jobcentre staff are refusing to a knowledge his probation terms and conditions. They are saying that he has to go out of the house when his curfew is on and they have told him that they expect him to have the Internet at home. As a result this man has been sanctioned because he cannot break his curfew and neither can he afford the Internet at home. He’s been sanctioned and can’t afford it. They have told him that they won’t help him make telephone calls which is normal so he had to use his last £10 to buy credit to make a phone call to appeal to the 0845 number that they provide. He’s only just managed to get his own place to live after being homeless for a long while and had stopped committing crimes. He went in to say that he cannot starve but he doesn’t want to end up having to steal and loosing his flat. He said that the probation service are struggling enormously with problems arising from the DWP. They are struggling to cope and have tried to contact the DWP but they just get shunned away like a member of the public. They aren’t happy. They want their clients to make a success of their life’s but the Jobcentre are making this impossible. Universal credit obviously isn’t helping those who need the help most. A person is a person who deserves help even if they have committed a crime and they should be helped as much as possible so they don’t re offend again. This government are setting them up to fail and it’s very very wrong. I feel that this is an issue that needs to be taken further and the DWP needs to start recognising their complex needs.
A lady who often talks to us was telling her about her ongoing issue last Thursday. She’s been sanctioned since October for allegedly having a man that she’s never heard of living with her. She has proof off this amd has submitted this proof on three occasions, even offered the DWP to put cameras up in her house!! She’s never heard of this man!! They still aren’t listening and she’s still sanctioned. Now this is very wrong. She’s provided every bit of evidence that she can but she can’t win. It seems that they have picked a name out of a hat and have decided that he is living there. I shall keep you posted on this issue.
Whatever happened to innocent before being proven guilty? According to the DWP you are guilty before being proven innocent. Now that’s something to think about because that’s how they regard you. Your just a number and your life doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters are their targets and reach them they must.
Join us at your local Jobcentre this Thursday in the national day of demonstrations against sanctions. We will be outside Ashron Jobcentre will you be outside yours?
The poor side of life 
Reblogged this on Jay's Journal.
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Reblogged this on Britain Isn't Eating.
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Reblogged this on glendrixglendenning1 and commented:
This blog post is especially illustrative of the disjointed nature of our frankly, increasingly nasty society – inevitable, just so long as the present neo liberal free market nonsense consensus is adhered to by our political leaders. Incompetence? deliberate cruelty? Recruitment policy leading to DWP staff without the wherewithal to use discretion in applying the rules? I have no idea which option is the most likely – perhaps a combination of all three …..
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While watching PM Questions,I have noticed a trend or two,1000 jobs created everyday= 365.000 a year,no mention of companies laying people off. The claimant count is down 30/40/50/60/70% being sanctioned,assigned to MWA/CWP/WP is not the same as being employed.
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Exactly
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Reblogged this on Citizens, not serfs.
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Universal Credit will leave even more people sanctioned with nil food money.
UC will mean permanent sanctions because the Hardship Payments will become recoverable loans against future benefit or wages. So nil food money whether work or not.
UC will sanction people in work, as absorbs working tax credits.
Low waged part time will be sanctioned for not being able to gain full time hours.
UC will absorb housing benefit, so sanctions will stop food money and rent money.
UC denies Pension Credit if either partner is below the new raised retirement age, so the half of the working poor in their 60s and the 1 million 60-64 only on some kind of welfare will be hit by the even more severe sanctions under UC just the same as any other age.
Putting a pencil cross by the usual parties will not work this year.
Different logos are needed to bring a group of parties together to reached the 323 MP threshold to form a majority government and to utterly change Labour.
A coalition of 2 partner will not work this year, as neither Tory nor Labour even with a partner will get sufficient.
There can be more than 2 in a group of parties.
And the poor now outnumber all other voters in most of England.
See which logos to put your pencil cross by on 7 May, that could really stop all the benefit cruelty at:
http://www.anastasia-england.me.uk
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It has in my town we have had u.c since 2013. The Tories have committed terrible acts of hatred against the poor and will never be forgiven. Labour now say they are no longer there for the poor and are only there for working people, that’s why I won’t vote for either.
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Reblogged this on Benefit tales.
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