Benefit Sanctions — [Mark Pritchard in the Chair]

Called for action against sanctions on low-income individuals and highlighted that some constituents are not receiving cost of living payments, urging people to contact her if sanctioned.

Sanctions during a cost of living emergency are harmful and drive people into greater debt and poverty. Over 320,000 adverse sanctions decisions were made in the year up to July, showing an astronomical increase from previous years. The average sanction value is £262 per month, which is nearly a third of the average universal credit payment. Additionally, overpayment deductions are taken from almost 2.1 million claimants.

Claudia Webbe criticised the Government's sanctions regime as inhumane and ineffective, citing studies that describe it as 'cruel', 'inhumane' and 'degrading'. She highlighted specific instances where people were sanctioned due to illness or technical issues beyond their control. The UK is unique among OECD nations in using sanctions to punish claimants, leading to increased mental health damage and financial hardship during the cost of living crisis.

Critiqued the Conservative Party for their absence in debates about benefit sanctions, highlighting that £55,000 was deducted from universal credit payments in Glasgow East and £2.3 million across Scotland in August alone due to sanctions. Discussed the economic impact of these deductions on small businesses and local economies. Stressed the role of devolved governments in mitigating the effects of Westminster's policies, such as spending £80 million annually to counteract the bedroom tax. Mentioned that almost 700 Scottish households were denied the first cost of living payment due to sanctions during freezing temperatures. He added his voice in support, contributing a brief intervention indicating agreement with Karen Buck's points. Returned to his Front-Bench position, contributing briefly to the debate on benefit sanctions.

Expressed concern that benefit sanctions issues are a continuation of problems dating back to 2012, citing an instance where a sanctioned individual's death was linked to the policy. My right hon. Friend is making a powerful point about conditionality. There is currently no evidence supporting the efficacy or humanity of sanctions, as shown by a University of York study published in 2018.

He expressed concern over the excessive level of benefit sanctions, highlighting that they contribute to poverty and destitution. He mentioned that in his constituency of Easington, deductions from people's benefits amount to roughly £75,000 a month, exacerbating hardship. Morris also raised cases where individuals had died as a result of their benefits being sanctioned and urged the Minister to end the sanctions culture. Mr Morris inquired about the rapid increase in sanctions and questioned whether there is a regime incentivising DWP staff to apply them.

The monthly universal credit sanctions reached a peak of 58,548 in March. They have now fallen back to an average of 45,100 in the last quarter, which is two and a half times the average before the pandemic. The number of UC claimants who were serving a sanction in August was 115,274, after a peak of 117,999 in July. This increase reflects the chaotic lives constituents lead, making it almost impossible to survive beyond an 11-week average sanction period. Mr McDonnell interrupted to correct the Minister, insisting on an answer regarding the scale of sanction increases compared to pre-pandemic levels.

She highlighted the increase in sanctions imposed by the Department for Work and Pensions, noting that the number of people under sanction has more than tripled since October 2019. Karen Buck expressed concern over the mental health impact on those who receive sanctions and questioned why the rate of sanctions is higher now compared to before the pandemic.

Mr. Kenny MacAskill emphasised that the debate is not about benefit fraud but rather the reasonableness and proportionality of sanctions imposed on individuals who face economic hardships, especially in the gig economy or vulnerable occupations. He highlighted cases where DWP employees are threatened with punishment if they do not enforce a certain number of sanctions, which Mr. MacAskill found unacceptable. Furthermore, he cited instances from Ken Loach's film 'I, Daniel Blake' illustrating how individuals often face institutionalised cruelty due to harsh sanctioning policies despite having legitimate reasons for non-compliance.

A constituent was sanctioned despite being assured she did not need to attend an appointment, highlighting the need for a more humanised approach by the DWP. In response to a written question, the Minister said that data on the average length of sanctions is not readily available and providing it would incur disproportionate cost. The right hon. Member shares my concern that the Department is seemingly not tracking essential data that should inform policy making.

Acknowledged Mark Pritchard's work on the Select Committee and questioned if the recent report should be prioritised for publication to address past refusals. He highlighted questions about unpublished reports and the need for transparency regarding the effectiveness of universal credit sanctions.