Over half one million people claiming advantages have had their funds halted final yr because the Authorities carries out a violent clampdown on sanctions.
The Division for Work and Pensions (DWP) point out that 602,000 claimants have acquired sanctions throughout the interval between November 2023 and October 2024.
Moreover, the sanction fee rose to its highest-ever stage final October as 61,527 profit claimants had their funds lower or axed altogether.
In the meantime, the sanction fee for Common Credit score dropped to five.6 per cent in October 2024 – a 1.6 per cent lower in November the yr earlier than.
Over half one million people claiming advantages have had their funds halted final yr because the Authorities carries out a violent clampdown on sanctions
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Nonetheless, over 500,000 sanctioned people had their funds slashed or paused since they didn’t attend an compulsory interview with a Jobcentre work coach.
Greater than 24,870 acquired penalties for opting to not work, whereas some 15,340 individuals had their funds amended as a result of didn’t attend employment programmes.
And round 8,400 had been penalised for not disclosing a legitimate cause for leaving their job.
When signing as much as obtain advantages from the Authorities, recipients should meet sure necessities, comparable to proof of actively looking for employment, in addition to attending a set variety of appointments.
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The various varieties of penalty relying on which necessities claimants meet – or fail to satisfy.
Profit funds is perhaps stopped if people fail to successfully search or apply for work, refuse a possible job supply or resign with no legitimate cause for doing so.
Whereas refusing a job supply would see claimants sanctioned on the highest stage, quitting a job with no “good” cause would depart people penalised as effectively.
There’s presently no clear definition of what’s meant by a “good” cause, nonetheless.

Equally, people on Common Credit score can see their funds lower only for being late to appointments and interviews at Jobcentres throughout the nation (Inventory)
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Equally, people on Common Credit score can see their funds lower only for being late to appointments and interviews at Jobcentres throughout the nation.
These conferences would possibly embody discussions on easy methods to progress the person’s job search and employability which may be held over the cellphone or in individual.
One more reason that might trigger claimants grief is failing to replace private info – such because the variety of hours {that a} claimant works, or what number of kids they give the impression of being after.
Those that consider that they’ve been wrongly sanctioned can contact the DWP and request a “mandatory reconsideration” for one month after the penalty notification.