Benefit Sanctions - Independent Inquiry

Due to the draconian policies of this government in its Social Security reforms and the clear pressure placed on DWP/Job Centre staff, the number of claimants being subjected to benefit sanctions has increased by hundreds of thousands per year.

Benefit sanctions can last from 4 weeks to 3 years causing immense distress to benefit claimants, suicide, homelessness, poverty, hunger and increased use of food banks.

It is widely reported that many claimants facing sanctions have had their benefits stopped when its not even their own fault, with even reports that claimants are set up to fail and have even had their job centre records falsified.

We support the call from Church Action on Poverty, The Trussell Trust and Child Poverty Action Group for the government to set up an independent inquiry into benefit sanctions, processes, the sanctioned, their effects with a view to establishing a fairer system to ensure benefit claimants are treated with compassion.