Sanctions designed to ‘trip people up’

Reposted from Public & Commercial Services (PCS) website

Evidence to MPs on benefits sanctions

Our general secretary Mark Serwotka and DWP vice president Helen Flanagan (@Shenanigans_PCS) appeared this morning before the work and pensions select committee.

The government’s controversial system for stopping people’s benefits is designed to “trip people up” instead of help them, we told MPs today.

Giving evidence to the work and pensions select committee’s inquiry into sanctions, our general secretary Mark Serwotka said this is “corrupting” the work our members are trying to do.

Mark was appearing alongside our Department for Work and Pensions vice president Helen Flanagan. The committee had previously published our written submission to the inquiry.

We live-tweeted the session, which is available to watch again on the Parliament TV website.

1. The Guardian’s Patrick Butler is reporting today that jobcentre bosses have set up “hit squads” to target claimants for sanctions and put pressure on them to sign off.
   His report notes that this evidence chimes with our own experience
   Sanctions are not only often unfairly applied, they are a grossly disproportionate punishment for what can be very minor breaches.