25 signatures reached
To: Iain Duncan Smith
Hold an urgent review into benefit sanctions
I want there to be an urgent review into the benefit sanction system which despite a few "tweaks" by Government is still an unfair and brutal system.
Why is this important?
This is so important because it is affecting people's ability to feed their own family. How can we live in a society where people are punished in such a way that they cannot feed their children? It is right that any system of benefits has checks and balances in it so people cannot abuse the system but we also have to have compassionate limits which do not affect the health and well-being of those affected.
So many families are having to access the country's Foodbanks because they have been sanctioned. when a sanction is put in place this usually means that the majority of a person's income is stopped immediately meaning they are unable to meet their regular financial commitments including buying food. If they get a hardship payment after two weeks of a sanction this has to be repaid afterwards which adds more of a financial strain. If you refused to feed your dog as a punishment for some misdemeanor you would be prosecuted for animal cruelty but for some reason the DWP can do just that to a family by removing their ability to feed their family. Where is the justice in that? We need a robust system which is also compassionate and acknowledges that these people are human beings with a right to feed themselves and their families.
