End DWP Benefit Sanctions

In a new report the government’s imposition of sanctions on Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants has led to a significant rise in people leaving unemployment benefits, but they are not returning to work, according to researchers at the University of Oxford and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Sanctions are unfair, disproportionate and cruel - they are leading to the deaths of our citizens; causing suicides, mental health issues and increasing the involvement of the police, hospitals and social services.

Whistleblowers are reporting that JCP staff are setting people up to fail to meet internal targets.

Radio 4 reported the case of Danielle, a woman with dyslexia and learning difficulties. She had been instructed to complete 48 ‘actions’ to get work a fortnight. With her problems this was not easy. When once she had only done 47 acts she was sanctioned. She ended up dependent on food charities.

There is a need for a cost-benefit analysis of sanctioning, looking at it not just in narrow terms of unemployment benefit, but also the bigger picture, focusing on employment, health, and other social costs.

The senior author of the new working paper, Professor David Stuckler from Oxford has presented these fact as an expert witness before the Work and Pensions Committee: PLEASE help us and sign our petition @ABCorgdotnet