Benefit sanctions against people with mental health problems up by 600 per cent
The number of benefit sanctions imposed on people with mental health problems has increased by over 600 per cent over the last four years, Department for Work and Pensions statistics show.
A joint analysis of the figures by the Independent and the mental health charity Mind found that 19,259 people with such conditions had their benefits stopped under sanction in 2014-15 compared to just 2,507 in 2011-12 – a 668 per cent rise.
The finding comes weeks after ministers rejected a call to investigate whether such sanctions – which involve stopping a person’s disability benefit income for weeks at a time to enforce compliance – are damaging to mental health.
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DWP are disgusting in many ways
When the DWP reviewed cases of suicide I made the point that it was not to see what had gone wrong but to see what had worked. I think these figures sort of prove that I was right.
These figures are of nightmarish proportions, and set to increase.
I am afraid of this happening to me for I have mental health issues, all the tories know is big stick treatment, that’s one of the very, very few things they actually get right, nazis in pinstripes!