Benefit sanctions decrease as age increases

[Foebane72]

I have looked at a few graphs and charts that show this kind of information:

https://www.cabwiltshire.org.uk/images/sanctions_by_age_groups.png

https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/gallery/publications/report/2018/10/2018-annual-report-welfare-reform-9781787812628/00541551.jpg

 

And the thing that I wonder about is, why do less benefit sanctions of any kind get applied to older people as opposed to the young?

 

My thinking is that the young should be encouraged to work after leaving education, and most of them have the support of their parents, so that's why sanctions are so high there. But as the age increases, the sanctions fall. Is this an acknowledgment by the UK GOV and DWP that older claimants are less likely to find work, and so the work coaches are more lenient on them? Or is it something else?

 

I've been looking up and down for an explanation for this, but Google either doesn't have it, or I'm not phrasing the search parameters correctly.

 

[unclebulgaria67]

Could be a large number of reasons for differences.

 

Could it be that those younger are more likely to be transient, moving between different addresses and jobs, therefore they lose contact with Job Centre.  Whereas those older are generally more settled in an area, they may have a mortgage that needs to be paid and if they are not working,  they need the benefit money to at least pay some of their bills.  

 

In terms of the actual decisions made, I very much doubt age is a factor,  It is mostly a case of whether the claimant has met the terms of their claimant commitment or not.  One of the main reasons for sanctions, is failing to attend Job Centre appointments and then not providing good reason for failing to attend.

[Foebane72]

 

That's another thing that puzzles me. If an appointment letter comes from the JC, then that should be the highest priority to deal with, and the claimant should make a special effort to turn up early for the appointment and make sure they get there in plenty of time. I've heard countless times of people who turn up slightly too late - that's on them, to be honest, as they didn't consider it important enough.

 

[Foebane72]

Alright, since no-one is going to answer my last post, what is the biggest cause of benefit sanctions for over-50s? Or indeed, any age group? Missing appointments?

 

[unclebulgaria67]

Do DWP publish such statistics ?

 

Have you looked for statistics on sanction reasons ?

 

Think Parliament ( House of commons committee)  may have published some information, but not sure whether it goes into the details you are looking for.

 

I would think main reason for sanction would be failing to attend appointments and therefore not meeting the claimant commitment. 

 

What reasons for sanctions do you think applied before Covid-19 ?

[Foebane72]

No really fair or justified reasons, they just wanted to meet their targets for sanctions is all. Or does that not still happen now?

 

[unclebulgaria67]

What information have you found which shows DWP had targets for sanctions ?   Can't remember seeing any report about this with any proof this has happened. 

 

Have seen reports saying that most sanctions are counter productive, as they do not lead to a change in behaviour of claimants i.e. they don't suddenly realise they have made a mistake in missing appointments or not bothering to search for work.  

[Foebane72]

I don't have proof, just heard about claims made in articles I've read in the past, and that was for JSA. These articles would be from around 2012 to 2015 online.

[unclebulgaria67]

6 minutes ago, Foebane72 said:

 

I don't have proof, just heard about claims made in articles I've read in the past, and that was for JSA. These articles would be from around 2012 to 2015 online.

 

See if you can find the articles and post a link.  Most good journalists normally state what the source evidence is that has been found to support the claims made in the article.

 

The JSA amounts are to cover very basis costs including food, so any sanction should be a last resort action, following warnings.   But with JSA, this relied on the claimant going into the Job Centre every two weeks to sign on, providing details of the last two weeks work search.  If they did not turn up for the appointment, then the signing on process may not be completed I would guess and therefore any benefit money would not be processed ?  Is that what happened ?

[Foebane72]

I found this one in 15 seconds: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/30/cruel-benefits-sanctions-dwp-job-advisers-evidence-work

 

[unclebulgaria67]

It is your thread and it is up to you to find the information that you want to include on the thread.

 

As you found that one in 15 seconds, no doubt you can find more online articles and perhaps after you have read them, you can offer some analysis.  

 

CAG is a self help forum.  It is not a forum, where you raise a debate and expect others to start doing the work for you 

 

 

 

 

[tomtom256]

No targets for sanctions, in fact currently throwned upon owing to the pandemic.