UC sanctions should be temporarily lifted

[Needachangee]

NC as been discussing with a friend who uses MN

I am on UC currently but have been sanctioned for missing appointments as my mum was in hospital. I had a single piece of toast yesterday, I just started my period, it’s 30 degrees and I have 3 potatoes and half a tin of beans to last until Monday. That’s when I can apply for a hardship payment that I might not even receive and if I do it won’t come through till Tuesday.

AIBU to think sanctions should be lifted temporarily with the cost of living crisis. I understand that there has to be consequences and incentives to make people attend the job centre but the alternative is people like myself are close to starving. The only positive outlook I have is I’m starting work in September. Food banks are scarce as everyone is struggling to buy their own shops let alone donate.

The country is on its knees so I know there can’t be an increase in UC and as I say I will be earning myself soon enough but as I’ve been sanctioned the most I will get is £100 if I’m accepted for a hardship payment to see me through till payday in September. I think sanctions should be banned temporarily as a help to people like the increase during lockdown.

She's short of money now, so she needs to get temporary work. That how us underclass-types have to survive...

Are people kidding the fact op has mental health issues?

So you agree with starving people as punishment do you?
People have died as a result of being sanctioned.

You need to watch I daniel blake for a start and educate yourself on how the government treat the poor and sick and disabled.

Starving people of food is disgusting even prisoners get treated better, they dont go without food.

They are not given out fairly at all they are handed out like sweets.

Jobcentres are not about help anymore they are about sanctioning people and punishing them for being poor.
Sanctions do not help people into work anyway, they just make their lives more miserable and desperate but thats what the Government want.

Not commenting on your situation, OP.

But no, I don't think sanctions should be temporarily lifted. If sanctions are being issued fairly, what difference would lifting them make to the cost of living crisis? Other than allowing people to exploit the fact? And how long do you propose they are lifted for? Because the cost of living crisis isn't a short term thing.

Can you perhaps borrow from a friend OP?

no it shouldnt your not employed. You dont have any rights like workers and you dont get holiday pay or anything else. You are not employed.

This thread is eye-opening. When people say things like how did we as a country get to this point it's because a lot of people just everyday people like on this thread supported and created the environment we find ourselves in.

These same people would probably tell poor people the solution to not being poor is simply to stop being poor.

I'm sorry you're going through this OP, please appeal.

Christ alive, the lack of basic human compassion on this thread is breathtaking. There but for the grace of god and all that.
I lived and worked in the UK for decades and through my job I have seen the erosion of care for the poorest from the government, exacerbated by UC and channel 5's fine line in poverty porn programs.
The poor, both working and non working are being punished for being poor. It is more expensive to BE poor.
When my DDad was hospitalized and subsequently died my head was so far up my arse that I could barely remember my own name.

I think at least more vulnerable claimants need identification. With mental health problems, learning difficulties, multiple dependents or rural locations for example the playing field isn’t level.
I’d probably be fine attending appointments, I’m organised, in good health and capable. My sister has learning difficulties, mental health issues and no transport. Is it fair we’d be treated equally?
(She was actually once put in a work seeking group and threatened with sanctions. Thankfully after I dropped her off the job centre themselves appealed the decision. Without me to drop her off I don’t know what work have happened, she’d functioning at a level where she’d probably be very ill as a consequence- it happens).

You need to attend your appointments at the job centre or you get sanctioned. If there's a reason you can't go, you need to weigh up if it's pressing enough to not be able to attend, given what the circumstances are.

I think it’s pointless continuing and trying to explain as it is quite obvious there are a lot of people here who are of the opinion poor people have themselves to blame despite the thousands of reasons that can contribute to ending up in a situation like mine. The sanction was through my own actions I understand but there are some comments about the UC all together. I have employment starting soon.

My original point which I clearly didn’t communicate well is that all of the community help previously accessible to people who have been sanctioned isnt there anymore with the cost of living crisis. The people I know simply cannot afford to help me out. They are struggling too. So I felt that sanctions are really dangerous right now as people aren’t able to borrow from others. But if people don’t agree that is fair enough

I'm a bit confused. Did you only miss 1 appointment?

I thought you weren't usually sanctioned for missing just 1.

why should she ask to borrow money off people.

Why should she have to apply for a hardship payment.

Sanctions are nothing more than a way of trying to get you off benefits.

Starvation as a punishment not a civilised society.

@Needachangee have you asked for a mandatory reconsideration? If not please do so. In the meantime look for temp work as at least you’ll have some income until you start you new job in September

exactly same here. Jobcentres have targets, and advisors can be rewarded for getting people off benefits its disgusting.

Its all about putting as much stress onto as they can so you sign off.

I think if I was reliant on UC to be able to live, and the payment of UC was dependent on attending an appointment at the jobcentre, I would make attending it a priority above all else.

This

I think they should be lifted full stop. UC should be based on need not your bus being late or how vindictive your uc staff member is.

Never been on UC before anyone assumes.

By your own admission you only have yourself to blame

For anyone who sees situations like this as black and white I may offer some insight so that perhaps one persons outlook changes.

I have stated I have mental health problems. Most likely a personality disorder and was off and on antidepressants for most of my adult life until I realised it was more than depression. My every day tasks are incredibly difficult, sometimes attending the job centre seems impossible. The NHS is crumbling and the wait time for an assessment was quoted to me as 6 years. So I’m the mean time I don’t know what is wrong with my brain, cannot receive appropriate treatment and have the appropriate accommodations made to my life. I gain employment and I am not able to keep it up long term because of my struggles and it’s been a loop of job, losing it and being impoverished my entire adult life.

Sanctions are nothing more than a way of trying to get you off benefits.

But that should be the aim surely? Benefits are a safety net and should be a short term thing unless the claimant cannot work for any reason. Sanctions should be well known by now, I don't think people should keep being able to miss appointments and continue to receive benefits. I think it shouldn't be a one strike only thing, but three is enough warnings.

So if someone keeps missing appointments and doesn't have a good enough reason, what's the alternative?

And yet there are screams when people accuse MN of being a middle class, Tory loving, poor hating cess pit.

This thread just proves it.

I know several people who've been sanctioned when it was completely impossible for them to make the appointment. I do think that sanctions are handed out too quickly and that there needs to be a lot more understanding built in to the system.

However, in your case, I don't understand why your DM being in hospital meant that you couldn't take an hour or so to go to the appointment. I've had to work (including a trip abroad) while my DH was in hospital and would have lost my job if I'd just decided to spend every day in the hospital with him.

Unless it's a case of life or death, then I don't know why you wouldn't go to your appointment. Especially when you know that you'll have no income if you don't.