Benefit sanctions against people with mental health problems up by 600 per cent

Last Updated: November 13, 2015By

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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.

Source: Benefit sanctions against people with mental health problems up by 600 per cent | UK Politics | News | The Independent

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4 Comments

  1. Ian November 13, 2015 at 12:58 am - Reply

    DWP are disgusting in many ways

  2. HomerJS November 13, 2015 at 9:36 am - Reply

    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.

    • Terry November 14, 2015 at 7:57 am - Reply

      These figures are of nightmarish proportions, and set to increase.

  3. mrmarcpc November 20, 2015 at 4:35 pm - Reply

    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!

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