Tag: decision making

Unpaid Carers Forced To Pay Back Thousands

And so the DWP cruelty continues and we shouldn’t be surprised.

Unpaid carers have been told by the DWP (Department Of Work And Pensions) to repay thousands of pounds of benefits after unknowingly earning too much money years ago.

Not only is this cruel it was entirely preventable if the DWP had done their jobs correctly. But forcing unpaid to pay back thousands is unbelievable especially when they save the government millions every year.

The DWP system shows when carers have gone over the earnings limit but they failed to inform claimants instead allowing their claims to continue for months or even years before recovering the full amount owed.

This has also been highlighted in a series of articles by Patrick Butler in The Guardian which shows exposing the cruelty in how they treat unpaid carers

Along with this the folks over at Benefits And Work have raised the reasons why the DWP should never get the police powers they desperately want.

This also proves why the DWP should never be given police powers.

This has resulted in the DWP given free reign to threaten  carers with jail terms.
They have also used laws that were  designed to strip drug dealers of their property to take  money from carers.


The DEP have unlawfully ignored judges legal directions in order to increase the amount they can take back from carers.


The DWP have been shown to misleed MPs for years by promising that new technology meant large overpayments would no longer happen.


Alongside this they are refusing to publish a report on the effects of overpayment recovery on carers which was completed years ago.


Take for example the heart breaking  case of Vivienne Groom who cared for her elderly mother who had dementia and suffered from a stroke is a disturbing example of how the DWP treat carers.

Vivienne was given incorrect advice from a  social worker that she didn’t need to declare her part-time minimum wage at the  Co-Op job to the DWP whilst still receiving carers allowance.

When her hours increased she did inform the DWP, who said they would get back to her.

Unsurprisingly they never did reply to her.

Years later she was threatened with prosecution and began repaying the overpayment at £30 a month.

This is a large amount of money for her to replay each month but she did so.

Her mother sadly died and left her a £16,000 inheritance. The DWP went on to  prosecute  Vivienne using the Proceeds of Crime Act.

This was created to take expensive cars and large houses from drug dealers, not people who have cared for loved ones

They also threatened her with up to seven years in prison in order to steal her inheritance.

Vivienne decided to take legal action and was refused legal aid because she had £16,000 in capital even though she couldn’t access it because the DWP had her account frozen the day the money went into her bank account.

The case ended with the DWP legal team ignoring judges directions on three separate occasions to make calculations that may have reduced the amount Vivienne owed and, instead, getting the whole of her inheritance.

It’s extremely disturbing that the possibility that  a vengeful organisation as is the DWP could be given the power to search claimants homes, seize their possessions and prosecute them or impose fines upon them must be challenged whenever it is raised.

As proven time after time the DWP will ignore a judges ruling and will appeal any decisions made in a court of law.

It’s wrong, beyond cruel . The government should be thanking unpaid carers for the work that they do because ultimately they save the government millions of pounds each year.

It’s our job to challenge this whenever possible and share articles to raise awareness because believe it or not there are people that aren’t aware that this does and will continue to happen.

A huge thank you to Patrick Butler for his hard work in producing these interviews

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/apr/07/unpaid-carers-allowance-payment-prosecution-earnings-rules

Also thanks to the folk over at Benefit And Work for the hard work that they do to help people.

Photo by EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA on Pexels.com

Thanks to my partner for sending me the article as soon as it was published.

This time of the year is especially hard for me because of the anniversary of my son’s passing and everything that went along with that.

This is why I’ve been absent from social media because it’s tough for me to handle but I will be back to normal soon

Thank you for your patience

Cruel Universal Credit Sanction Rates Continue To Increase


It’s no surprise that the DWP (Department Of Work And Pensions) is continuing to punish universal credit (UC) claimants with their harsh sanction regime afterall it’s their favorite and easiest method of punishment that they use.



The latest official figures show that sanctions rate had remained to above 7% from August through to November of 2023 which are the most recent months of which figures are available.

However in in March 2020, just before the pandemic began, UC sanctions rates were at just 2.5% having fallen steadily since January 2017.

The DWP have unsurprisingly given no explanation for this almost threefold increase in sanctions.

I mean how on earth could this happen?

Sanctions are imposed for various reasons but the most common are for failing to attend or take part in mandatory interviews, indeed 95% are given for this reason.

What we do know from past experience is that sanctions are given for wrongful reasons.

These reasons vary but are often and not excluding others claimant not receiving notification of having to attend a meeting,  being ill and notifying the DWP that they were not able to attend or already working at the time given and their employer won’t allow them to leave for their DWP appointment.

We know that sanctions can and should be appealed however many aren’t aware that they can do so and have the energy to fight it.

Sanctions are particularly cruel because not only does the claimant get sanctioned it also affects any dependants that live with them.

Combine this with the cruel benefit caps and this with the three child limit which directly impacts a child’s health and well being.

Are incentives being given for Job Coaches to refer people for sanctions?

I can’t say for sure but we do know that they’ve been using these methods for years now and it’d be very out of character to stop doing this.

I do know that sanctioning people like this is cruel, inhumane and needs to be stopped now before more people fall victim to the DWPs cruel regime of punishment and blame.

DWP Work Coach Shortage Unable To Cope With Increasing Unemployment. Safestyle Goes Into Administration.



The PCS union that represents DWP workers have recently warned that there’s a “staffing chaos” at the DWP, with work coach roles being particularly affected. Meanwhile the government apparently seeks to hire thousands of new staff despite having just made hundreds of workers redundant.

As a result of this unmitigated staffing chaos, additional “support measures” are supposedly being put in place in Jobcentres to manage the workload of work coaches.


The support measures include reducing the frequency of work coach contact with some claimants from fortnightly to monthly and shortening some meetings from 50 minutes to 30 minutes.

This will be welcomed by claimants that might have to travel quite a distance to their nearest Jobcentre.

However here’s the kickback which effectively wipes out any supposed help offered. The Chancellor has announced an end to civil service expansion, with an immediate cap on the civil service headcount, with a view to reducing it to pre-pandemic levels.

Go figure, it’s a disaster something that the government is very familiar with. They’ve proven time and time again that they’re incapable of managing anything with efficiently.

With the DWP failing to manage its current workload with no let up in the foreseeable future, the very idea that tens of thousands of additional claimants can be removed from the LCWRA group and given effective support to help them into work is rubbish, a bare faced lie that they will be reminded of in the future.

Basically it’s very clear to see  that the sole purpose of making the WCA much harsher is to save money and not to help claimants.

Think about it, they don’t care about claimants especially disabled ones that are already in an extremely vulnerable position.

Let’s take for example, approximately 680 staff have recently been made redundant by the window and door manufacturer and seller Safestyle.

The business has gone into administration with no warning to its employees and the GMB union  expects up to 600 job losses.


However on Monday, administrators Interpath Advisory said the number of redundancies was about 680.

Sadly only 70 of the roughly 750 staff have been retained.


Appallingly saff were unexpectedly texted to “down tools” on Friday evening and received news of the appointment of administrators on Monday in the car park of the company’s headquarters in Bradford, GMB said.

They’ve been made redundant with immediate effect and told they won’t get another penny from the company.”

GMB organiser Bob McNeill added: “Bosses didn’t even have the decency to let them into the building out of the pouring rain”

This will result in at least another 680 people being made unemployed due to no fault of their own. As pointed out above they aren’t going to receive any more payment from the company.

This is another 680 people that will put increased pressure on an already failing system that can’t cope with the demand.

It’s clear to see that despite the government’s denial, the UK is going through a recession which combined with the cost of living and energy cost crisis is very concerning for everyone that owns a business, big or small.

Every day more companies and small local businesses are forced to shut their doors which will also put even more pressure on the DWP system.

It’s a disaster, heartbreaking for everyone affected but the government is doing what they do best, causing chaos and even more suffering for the poorest and most vulnerable.

They need to go as soon as possible. I fear that they aim to cause as much chaos and confusion as they can before being forced to leave number 10.

The damage they’ve done to this country is irreparable, it’s hard to come back from this if not impossible.

https://gofund.me/abea8764

British Gas Profits Rise By 889% To £969 Billion Whilst Households Struggle To Pay Bills.

I’m writing this in anger that I haven’t felt for a long time. I try to keep calm and be proactive but this has got to be one, yes only one of the worst things that I’ve read recently.

Sadly this didn’t come as a surprise, it’s a big slap in the face for the general public and proves the point that we don’t have a government in charge of the country. Instead we have a cartel allowed to do whatever they want without any repercussions.

The public should, quite rightly be angry about this. Hunger is a great distraction though and those that are have to prioritise finding food to feed themselves and their families.

It’s an obscene that British Gas profits have soared by a staggering 889% to a record £969m. At the same time Centrica, its parent company, has also  revealed a £6.5 billion profit in the first six months of 2023.

It’s hard to imagine having that amount of money isn’t it and I ask the question ‘How can any organisation like British Gas be allowed to profit like this?’

The government should be asking them to cut their prices instead it gets worse British Gas have reported its highest ever first-half profits of almost £1bn.

The energy regulator Ofgem is worse than useless though and clearly isn’t’tn’t on the side of the public. It blatantly sat back and allowed British Gas and Centrica to recoup costs from household bills, keeping in mind that they are already struggling.

British Gas and Centrica aren’t even trying to hide this though, this year’s earnings for the six months to June 30 have increased dramatically compared with operating losses of £1.1 billion a year earlier.

Meanwhile their operating profits increased by £2.1 billion from £1.3 billion a year ago whilst the general public will have no choice but to struggle.

It’s criminal and should be dealt with accordingly.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

PIP Telephone Chaos Set To Continue Until End Of Summer

It appears that a lot of people have been contacting their MPs to raise their concerns about not being able to get their calls to the PIP enquiry line.

As a result of taking action like this an increasing number of questions from MPs to ministers about problems with the line.

Bravo everyone!

One of the questions recently asked was from Labour MP Kerry McCarthy, this then resulted in Tom Pursglove, minister for disabled people who actually actually admit that the waiting times for PIP and ESA enquiry lines have been too long.

Who’d have thought this… We’ve known this for a long time but ministers and MPs had previously been ignored.

This in my opinion is a result of the action that you’ve taken, well done everyone.



However Pursglove claimed that ESA call waiting times have begun to improve. He went on to say that the delays and chaos is set to continue until the end of the summer.

Keep in mind that the proposed 600 new staff to be employed by the DWP could well have no medical training at all which if not will cause distress and harm.

If this is the case we will have to continue to campaign for fair treatment and understanding for all disabled and ill people.

The blatant discrimination which is constantly metered towards disabled and ill people is in my eyes horrific. No one should be treated like this let alone vulnerable disabled people.

It’s vitally important to continue to contact your local MPs it can make a huge difference.

It’s vitally important that we continue campaigning against this though, it raises awareness and can in some cases result in change.

Huge thanks go to the team over at Benefits and Work for their hard work for original reporting of this.

Thanks goes to everyone that reads and shares my articles it raises much needed awareness.

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Currently I’m trying to obtain photo ID and it’s impossibly expensive.

Digital Universal Credit System Breaches Law Principals And Prevents Claimants Accessing Support

 

Digital aspects of universal credit (UC) has routinely lead to wrong payments being awarded to claimants which are often the most vulnerable claimants – and therefore breaches rule-of-law principles, new Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) research finds.

The three-year study found that while the digital nature of the benefit has some advantages for UC claimants, the way the digital systems have been designed can also lead to people being left without vital money they are entitled to and information they need in order to challenge DWP decisions.  

In the worst cases claimants are forced into acute hardship because the programming and operation of this digital- by-design benefit does not align with social security legislation.

The charity’s report catalogues numerous injustices and breaches of rule-of-law principles in the operation of digital UC systems and reveals the extent to which its workings are opaque for claimants and researchers. 

Problems uncovered by CPAG’s research include people missing out on additional support they are entitled to because the online claims process does not identify their needs. Families are going without their entitlements for all children because verification paperwork is pending for one child.

Care leavers are also unable to submit a digital claim in advance of their 18th birthday even though DWP guidance enables this.

Worryingly, the research found that in the year ending February 2023, approximately one-third of the 2.9 million registrations for UC did not result in a claim being submitted at all but there appears to be no DWP information in the public domain on why the drop-out rate is so high.  

CPAG’s research suggests that aspects of the digital claim form that make it difficult for some claimants to complete the form and establish their entitlement may explain at least some of these abandoned claims.

Digital claim form does not ask all the right questions

Some claimants are entitled by legislation to extra amounts of UC or exemptions from the standard rules of UC.

This can be because of their particular circumstances (for example if they have a health condition, are escaping domestic violence, are carers or care leavers). 

However the digital claim form doesn’t always ask claimants if they meet any of the conditions for these extra amounts or exemptions. As a result of this claimants – who are not experts on the complex UC rules – don’t always get a fair chance to establish their entitlement.

In the worst cases, vulnerable people go without extra money or exemptions they should have.

For example, while UC claimants under the age of 35 renting in the private sector will receive the shared accommodation rate of the Local Housing Allowance (LHA), there are exceptions to this for claimants with certain rates of disability benefits, and claimants who have lived in homeless accommodation for three months or more while receiving specific support. These claimants are entitled to the higher one-bedroom rate of LHA.

However, the online claims process doesn’t ask claimants if they meet any of these conditions. Instead, the DWP expects claimants to understand the complexities of the housing cost element regulations and self-identify as having the specific circumstances and characteristics that exempt them from the shared accommodation rate.

This breaches the rule-of-law principle of procedural fairness and is a failure of the duty to make reasonable enquiries.

By failing to ask all the relevant questions, the UC system systematically discriminates against groups entitled to additional support – the very same groups who by definition are often the most vulnerable and at risk of discrimination because of their extra needs.

Nor does the digital claim form ask claimants what date they want to claim from even though backdating by up to one month for example if a claimant ‘couldn’t reasonably be expected to make the claim earlier’ for reasons including and not excluding having a disability, or a system failure.

Claimants can request a revision of their claim so that it has an earlier start date, but the DWP does not establish in each case when a claimant wishes their claim to start from. This then places the onus on claimants to self-identify that a backdate is possible.

This leaves some claimants who are eligible for backdating – mostly people with health conditions or disabilities – without money they are entitled to.

CPAG wants claim forms amended to ask all claimants if they require backdating or want to claim from an earlier date.



All children in a family deprived of support if one child can’t be verified

The UC digital system is unable to accept the verification of individual children independently of other children in a household. This results in families missing out on their legal entitlement to the child element of UC for all of their children. This happens if there is a problem with providing evidence to verify just one child in a family.

The computer system clashes with social security regulations which entitle the children to support.

Early Warning System case – November 2022

A woman has three children, aged 10, 14 and 19. The woman has cancer and claimed UC in April, declaring her children via a change of circumstances in June. She couldn’t provide evidence of her eldest child’s education because he hadn’t been accepted into college yet and it wasn’t possible to provide evidence until the new school year.

The verification for all of the children failed because of the lack of evidence for one of her children. Since June, her UC award has only included the single person allowance, limited capability for work-related activity and housing costs restricted to a single person according to the local housing allowance (LHA) rules. There is no child element for any of the children and no additional bedrooms allowed for them in the LHA size criteria



Early Warning System case August 2022

This claimant has four children, for one of whom she receives Disability Living Allowance. The claimant had recorded this child as being on low-rate care, when she was in fact on mid-rate care. This is irrelevant for her UC…

DWP asked her to correct it but she missed the message because English is not her first language. As a result, she wasn’t paid the child element (or disabled child addition) for any of the children (all born pre-Apr 2017) for three consecutive assessment periods.

She also had no work allowance applied and her housing element was reduced as she was deemed to be under occupying with no children in the household.

She missed out on around £1,500 per month, was in extreme hardship and got into massive debt. [The case, from CPAG’s Early Warning System August 2022, was eventually resolved by a welfare rights adviser

Digital system can’t accept advance claims despite regulations permitting them

DWP guidance enables advance claims of up to one month for prisoners who are about to be released from custody and care leavers in advance of their 18th birthday.

These claimants can’t receive benefits while they are the responsibility of the local authority or are in prison but the legislation enables them to make a claim while support structures are in place.

In practice however, the digital UC system does not accept advance claims. One adviser told the CPAG research team:

Will (adviser) – October 2021

The law allows care leavers to make an advanced claim… It doesn’t mean you’ll get your money earlier… But what it does allow, which is very important for that group of people, is… about four weeks before they turn 18 … the social worker can go out, get their ID together, and explain what the process is. You press submit, sit back. They turn 18….. And in five weeks’ time the money comes.

That’s the way it should work… [But in reality the DWP] say you can do something called advanced preparation of a claim, but you can’t do an advanced claim… If you press submit it all b…..s up. What we find with our young people is, they quite often don’t want to, on the morning of their 18th birthday, go through a claim… it can be two or three weeks, sometimes longer, before they’ll come back to engage with the social worker…’

Claimants lose access to information they need:

When a decision on a UC award is revised or superseded (changed) with effect from an earlier date, it can generate an overpayment (if the amount of the award after the change is less than was previously awarded). This can also cause underpayments (if the amount of the award after the change is more than was previously awarded).

When the award is changed from an earlier date, claimants can no longer see the original decision because their payment statement in their online account is automatically updated to display only the new decision.

Without being able to compare the original with the new payment decision, claimants have insufficient information to identify whether any overpayments or underpayments have been calculated correctly.

Similarly, claimants who previously received UC and then make a new claim lose all access to their previous online journal because it is overwritten by a new one.

This is a problem for claimants who want to challenge a termination of their award and for those looking to resolve outstanding issues on the original award.

Claimants in this position can only access their previous online journal information by querying the information available via the UC helpline, applying for a subject access request or waiting for the information to be reproduced in the paperwork prepared for a challenge of the decision at Tribunal.

Design of the UC system is opaque:

CPAG sees the same mistakes in UC decision making and administration time and again but the lack of transparency on its design makes it difficult or impossible to interrogate whether errors are automated or clerical, and if clerical, the reasons why those aspects of the system have not been automated.

To make UC more transparent at an operational level, the DWP must:

Make information on the system’s design available.


Explain how officials interact with the digital systems and
publish its guidance for officials, and information on how it is applied.


At a system-wide level, the DWP must make the source code for UC publicly available, as is required by the Government Digital Service’s service standards.

The Department has committed to publishing the code for personal independence payment and pension credit but not UC.



Child Poverty Action Group’s head of policy and research Sophie Howes said:

“At its best, digitised universal credit makes it easier to claim. But at worst, it rides roughshod over rule-of-law principles and leaves claimants without enough money to live on. Try telling a mother of three that the computer says No to support for all of her children just because there’s a bureaucratic delay in the paperwork for one child. The DWP must take the wraps off UC so that its workings are transparent. There are low-cost changes the department can make to ensure digitalisation improves UC so that it’s fair, in line with regulations and capable of getting correct payments to all claimants. Almost half of children will be in households claiming UC when it’s fully rolled out, so getting it right is imperative.”

This is all pretty damning and shows what we have known for years. The Universal Credit system isn’t fit for purpose and certainly doesn’t run on a system of help and compassion.

This causes many claimants to drop their claims for UC because of its complexity which causes distress.

Thanks to Child Poverty Action Group for undertaking this research and publishing this report. It’s hard hitting but vital reading

DWP Cut off Nearly One Million Callers To Future Pension Centre Hotline

t wasn’t that long ago when I published a blog about the DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) deliberately cutting off calls.

You can find it here https://thepoorsideof.life/2023/05/11/dwp-deliberately-disconnects-calls-to-pip-and-dla-helplines/

It appears that the DWP have extended their total disregard and lack of care to their Future Pension Center helpline.


DWP minister Laura Trott disclosed in a written answer to parliament that between the 27 January and 26 March 2023, 1,007,868 calls were made to the Future Pension Centre helpline.

Of these, 47,345 were answered.

18,006 calls were abandoned.

It also revealed that a massive 942,517 calls were cut-off by the DWP before the callers got through to an operative.

That means a shameful 94% of all calls were deliberately disconnected.

This once again proves that the DWP and the government are totally ‘incompetent’ and are totally failing those that are desperately in need.

Personally I think that it’s deliberate and not down to incompetence after all they save money because people give up trying to contact them. They like to save money especially off the backs of vulnerable people.

Their systems aren’t fit for purpose and this proves this to be the case.

Will the government invest in their call systems and make them fit for purpose?

Don’t hold your breath. It’s beneficial for them not to do so. Meanwhile vulnerable people will continue to get distressed whilst trying to contact the DWP and many will give up altogether.

This isn’t acceptable but don’t expect the government to care enough to do anything about it.

Photo by omar alnahi on Pexels.com

Many thanks to Benefits And Work for their original reporting of this.

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Studies Show Childhood Hunger Seriously Effects Children’s Mental And Physical Development

An ever increasing number of children are now living in poverty as a result of the cost of living crisis, increasing energy costs, result of parents losing their jobs and DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) issues such as benefit sanctions.

As we are seeing this huge increase of people living in poverty little has been said about the effects of hunger upon children and their learning abilities.

It sounds like commonsense that childhood learning and hunger are both interconnected issues that are faced by many children in the UK. If you’re hungry it’s very hard to concentrate on anything else.

Recent studies have shown that hunger and malnourishment can have a severe impact on a child’s mental and physical development, which can ultimately affect their academic performance and life opportunities.


According to the End Child Poverty coalition, 4.2 million children in the UK are living in poverty, 2.4 million of whom are living in severe poverty. Poverty is a significant driver of hunger and food insecurity, with many families struggling to afford and find healthy and nutritious food.


Research by the Trussell Trust food bank network found that over 1.2 million emergency food supplies were given to children in the UK in 2020. This highlights the extent of hunger faced by children in the country and the need for action from the government.



The effects of hunger and malnutrition on a child’s learning can be very profound. Children who experience hunger often find it difficult to concentrate and focus, affecting their memory and cognitive abilities.

This can also lead to behavioral issues, affecting their interactions with others and their overall development.

Moreover, poor nutrition can significantly affect a child’s physical development, leading to a lack of energy, poor growth, and an increased likelihood of illness.

One recent study found that children who experienced hunger were more likely to have lower academic performance and to struggle with basic literacy and numeracy. Children who eat more healthily and more varied diets also have better cognitive abilities, and in many cases have better academic outcomes.


There is evidence, however, that basic interventions can help address these issues. Breakfast clubs at schools have been shown to improve pupils’ behaviour and academic performance. This is particularly noticeable with children that come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Whilst charities and organizations are also working to provide food parcels and other forms of support to families and children who are struggling with hunger, the food offered to them are usually of low nutritional standards but they do quench their hunger.

Childhood hunger and malnutrition in the UK continues to have a huge impact on a child’s learning and development.

Whilst there are interventions such as breakfast clubs and food banks that can help alleviate these problems, and it is vitally important for policymakers, schools, and charities to work together to ensure that all children have access to the resources they need to thrive.

Sadly at the time of writing the government is very reluctant to help at all. Instead the cost of living crisis and rising energy costs are continuing to increase plunging more children and their families further into poverty.

Is the government doing this purposely? It certainly makes me suspect this. The health and wellbeing of working class children appears to be unimportant to them and the less they learn the better for them.

Photo by Keira Burton on Pexels.com

DWP Job Coaches With No Academic Qualifications To Potentially Make Life Changing Decisions For Disabled People


It’s been revealed in the publication of a government white paper and a subsequent report by John Pring from Disability News Forum that job coaches with no academic qualifications could be tasked with making life changing decisions as to whether a disabled person must carry out work related activities as part of their DWP commitments.

This is dependent upon whether the government goes ahead with its plans to scrap the “fitness for work” test.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has told Disability News Service (DNS) that there are no minimum academic qualifications required to undertake the role of a work coach in a Jobcentre.

It has also been revealed that it will be these work coaches who will be given the task of deciding if disabled claimants in receipt of universal credit are able to carry out tasks such as attending training courses or work-related interviews.

Read the full report here. https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/work-coaches-with-no-gcses-could-decide-on-fit-for-work-activity-dwp-admits/

Many thanks to John Pring for his continued hard work in revealing the latest news from the DWP and their scurrilous plans to hurt disabled people even more.

I’ve got no doubt that the government will try and push their plans through because as we already know they care little, if at all about the welfare of disabled and poor people.

They’ll continue to persecute disabled people until they’re out of government making sure that they can create as much damage as possible until they’re forced to leave.

Secret Sanction Report Proves Sanctions Don’t Work


After many months of waiting and pressure from organisations and campaigners the DWP finally relented and published the secret sanction report that I’ve reported on previously.

This report concerned itself into the effectiveness of DWP (Department of Work and Pension) sanctions, afterall it’s a cruel tool used by them for a long time.

However in true DWP style they released it hours before the UK was closed to business for the Easter bank holiday.


The report shows that sanctioned claimants do take longer to move into paid employment and when they do so they’re most likely going to accept lower paid jobs than claimants that haven’t been sanctioned.

It also reveals that there’s no evidence that sanctions are effective in any way at all.


According to the report claimants that have been sanctioned also have 8% shorter UC claims than claimants who were not sanctioned.


The report proves that the majority of claimants with shortened claims disappear, they do not move into paid employment which is very worrying.



Claimants who are sanctioned and who eventually move into PAYE work then take longer to do so than those were not sanctioned and earn an average of £34 a month less than those not sanctioned.

The DWP rather unexpectedly argue in a ‘context note’ within the report that the research cannot be relied upon because it did not take into account the value of the ‘deterrent effect’ of the sanctions regime.



The DWPs ongoing theory is that claimants are more likely to meet their obligations because they fear being sanctioned thus sanctions are an effective tool.


In the three years since the draft report was created the DWP have chosen not to commission any independent research to test the truth of their deterrent effect theory.

Instead they intend to introduce a much harsher sanctions regime, when the only hard evidence they have about sanctions proves that they don’t work.

DWP Sanctions can and should be appealed however this takes a great deal of strength and determination of which not many have due to being completely worn down by the system.

So there we have it, the DWP once again ignoring important information that have a direct negative effect upon sanctioned claimants and their well-being.

The amount of people that decide to take themselves off the system when sanctioned is very concerning.

Don’t expect the DWP to care though, this is exactly what they want to happen and a claimants well-being isn’t even thought about let alone be a concern.

How many more deaths will there be as a result of being sanctioned before the cruel sanctioning system is forced to stop.

I predict thousands because not one political party is willing to campaign against this and apart from a few good MPs such as Debbie Abrahams they’re silent

Sanctions do kill and this report needs to be acted upon ASAP. One death is a death too many.

No one should be forced to suffer in this manner it’s inhumane and cruel.

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I’ve got my internet bill to be paid as well as my top up for my mobile phone that I rely upon to help people.

This week I’ve heard some truly awful stories of people suffering and I’ve done everything I can to help those that need it.

Thank you.