universal sanctions what does it include?

[exmrs]

Tried to find if you are sanctioned what money does it include i.e income support or jobseekers and housing benefit and child tax credit and child benefit- would it include all of these being sanctioned?

[HollyBerryBush]

I dont undersatnd the question - what does sanctioned mean in the context of your OP?

feels a bit thick

[exmrs]

Say you were told to apply for a job and you didnt and jobcentre say they are sanctioning you for not applying they can cut your money but im unsurer as to what benefits would be sanctioned

[HollyBerryBush]

thick question<

Why didnt you apply for the job?

If was something dreadful couldnt you have completely bolloxed your CV, covered it in illiterate typos and if you were called for an interview, gone in a onsie or something?


helpful

[exmrs]

No its not happened its just a scenario im wondering how much people are going to lose if they are sanctioned

[OddBoots]

14. Our current proposals for financial sanctions are:
    a. Failure to meet a requirement to prepare for work (applicable to jobseekers and those in the Employment and Support Allowance Work-Related Activity Group) will lead to 100 per cent of payments ceasing until the recipient re-complies with requirements and for a fixed period after re-compliance (fixed period sanctions start at one week, rising to two, then four weeks with each subsequent failure to comply).
    b. Failure to actively seek employment or be available for work will lead to payment ceasing for four weeks for a first failure and up to three months for a second.
    c. The most serious failures that apply only to jobseekers will lead to Jobseeker?s Allowance payment ceasing for a fixed period of at least three months (longer for repeat offences). Actions that could trigger this level of penalty include failure to accept a reasonable job offer, failure to apply for a job or failure to attend Mandatory Work Activity.
    d Some types of recipient, such as lone parents with young children, are only required to attend work-focused interviews and their failure to attend is more often due to challenging circumstances than wilful evasion of the rules. Therefore, we are improving our methods of ensuring lone parents know about and are able to comply with their responsibilities. However, we will impose a financial sanction where necessary that is broadly in line with current arrangements.
    
    From dwp.gov.uk pdf

[HollyBerryBush]

They wont touch CB or DLA. They aren't means tested benefits. They can't be included in anything.

[exmrs]

oddboots am i reading that right that if sanctioned the universal credit will be sanctioned and this would include child tax credit and housing benefit?

[OddBoots]

15. Will conditionality and sanctions change when Universal Credit is
    introduced?
    
    Yes. There will be more conditionality and much tougher sanctions under UC. In order to receive UC, claimants must sign a ?Claimant Commitment?. This will set out what the claimant will be expected to do as a condition for receiving UC. This will include work-focused requirements where appropriate.
    
    Failure to comply with a ?Claimant Commitment? could result in a reduction in the amount of UC the claimant receives. The sanction amount will be up to 100 per cent of the ?standard allowance?. Claimants will not be able to receive more than one sanction within a two week period.
    
    For example, UC claimants on the equivalent of JSA, will face the following
    sanctions:
    
    Refusing a job offer: 100 per cent reduction in standard allowance of UC for three months
    
    Refusing second job offer within a year of the first offence: 100 per cent reduction in standard allowance of UC for six months
    
    Refusing third job offer within a year of the second offence: 100 per cent reduction in standard allowance of UC for three years.
    
    From crisis.org.uk FAQ pdf

[exmrs]

thank you oddboots thats much clearer now

[aamia]

Just as a random question - what would these people who are sanctioned live on? Would they have to turn to crime/be made homeless and end up in a shelter?

[exmrs]

aamia , this is what im thinking as previously people on jobseekers had only jobseekers sanctioned but now tax credit and housing benefit would be included in the sanction as well .
3 months of not paying the rent would see most people evicted or in the process of being evicted

[OptimisticPessimist]

Standard allowance is the equivalent of JSA or IS, so pretty much the same as now. The child and housing elements would still be paid. However, losing such a massive proportion of income for anything from 3 months to 3 YEARS could be disastrous for some families.

[Birdsgottafly]

If a "gateway" benefit is sanctioned, then HB and CT is automatically stopped.

That is how people who are entitled to full HB, end up in debt. They don't always realise that this has happened.

The sanctioning of benefits is one of the most problems that we (a voluntary welfare right charity) deal with. Most of the time,we have the sanctioning over ruled.

I think that JC staff who impose this wrongly, should be disiplined and sacked,if found to be doing this regulary.

The way that peeple with MH and LD's are unfairly targeted is disgraceful.

what would these people who are sanctioned live on

If no friends or fammily, then often loan sharks,or high rate lenders (provident) as well as pawning goods.

I have known many people who just don't eat for a few days,or have power (card meters), so they are often the "smellys" that i see threads about (and hear the JC staff take the piss out of).

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

I cant see how the government can bring in these measures when there arent enough jobs.

If you refuse to take a job that is miles away from your home and is part time or whatever, you lose the money.

People will die under these changes. Homelessness and crime figures will rise. Numbers in prisons will rise.

The government will spend more than it will save.

[Birdsgottafly]

They know that, it happened during the Thatcher years, lots of people plunged into poverty and not a penny saved, plenty made for the "right" people, though.

[ilovesooty]

Crime will hit the roof. And the criminal justice system is experiencing savage cuts.

[thekidsrule]

wouldnt it effect our human rights though

regarding decent housing etc if the benefit was taken away in sanctions

it's about time the normal man/women on the street could use this law,instead of all the things that are used for it

[Birdsgottafly]

Welfare rights charities are collecting data and we always urge people to allow us to contact their MP, but it is ignored, as is the whole Atos fiasco.

All of the MH and LD charities have ongoing campaigns, as well.