Cost To Jobseekers Of Benefit Sanctions Rockets 3,000 per cent – Welfare Weekly
The cost to job seekers of having their benefit payments stopped has rocketed by 3,000% under the Tory-led coalition Government, according to Welfare Weekly.
Analysis of Government figures by the PCS union reveals that the value of Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) payments sanctioned in the year to September 2014 was £355 million, compared to just £11 million in 2009/2010.
PCS says the shocking figure explains why benefit sanctions have been directly linked to a surge in food bank users.
The full article is here.
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But its PCS members who are working to the non existent (LOL’s) sanctions regime.
While its nice they are speaking out against it, their members are quite happily sanctioning people to make sure they don’t get PIP or to make sure they get their bonuses and pay rises.
PCS members are part of the problem.
Yes – you don’t hear much solidarity with claimants from union representatives. They present themselves as being caught in the middle of a struggle that is none of their business, rather than as the front line staff positioned to directly do the government’s dirty work. Coordinated action to prevent the abuse of benefit claimants just doesn’t seem to be on their agenda.
The £354 million figure is only half the story. There is an additional cost to claimants in borrowing with interest, cancelled housing benefit claims, eviction, bailiffs’ actions, loss of property, swapped, sold and pawned property, increased shopping costs from buying in smaller quantities, and missed job opportunities due to job search activity being constrained while benefits are cut off.
Jobcentres are under enormous pressure to sanction jobseekers because the DWP’s primary mission is to save staggering sums of £s in benefits provision.
Yes – exactly the opposite of its stated mission.
Tory Minister says inhumane sanctions issue must be addressed, Camoron “agrees” with him by refusing to investigate, what a complete idiot!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31716210