Benefit sanctions: Present your case to the Select Committee

[Mr.P]

It Has been announced that the Work and Pensions Committee is to conduct an enquiry in to benefit sanctions imposed by the DWP.

 

The Work and Pensions Committee has decided to conduct an inquiry into benefit sanctions policy. This inquiry will consider aspects of sanctions policy which were outside the remit of the Oakley Review.

 

The Committee is particularly interested in:

 

• Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) sanctions, including: whether the current ESA sanctions regime is appropriate and proportionate for jobseekers with ill health and disabilities; and the reasons for recent sharp increases in the number of ESA sanctions
  
• Whether particular groups of ESA and JSA claimants (by impairment type; age; gender etc.) are proportionately more likely to be sanctioned than others
  
• To follow up the Committee's recommendation for a full independent review, to investigate the purpose, effects and efficacy of benefit sanctions, and to consider the issues such a review would need to take into account, including
  
• What are the current sanctions regimes trying to achieve and what evidence is there that they work?
  

Further details: http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/work-and-pensions-committee/news/benefit-sanctions-launch/

Anyone who has had to fight an unjust sanction, either instigated by a WP/CWP provider, or imposed by the DWP is urged to make a submission to the enquiry - If enough evidence is submitted, there may be a chance that the whole process will be subjected to a radical overhaul.

Edited November 7, 2014 by honeybee13
Following a discussion with Mr P, we have amended the thread title to try to elicit more responses and possible submissions.

[SabreSheep]

Get your voice heard NOW

[Mr.P]

The deadline for submissions is 12th December.

 

I can think of several posters here with stories worthy of submitting (Seetec inflicting sanctions on an ESA.SG claimant for example).

[osdset]

I'll be submitting my story, it'll be a bit difficult to contain it within 3,000 words though!

[jasta11]

I hope the very first thing this Committee will look into will be sanction targets; both official and unofficial. I don't hold out much hope though.

[Mr.P]

Just to bump this up - Only two weeks to go to get submissions in.

[Mr.P]

Last chance to make your submissions today.