Oakley Review - DWP Committee Announcement

Work and Pensions Committee

Committee welcomes Government shift in sanctions policy

In its response, published today, to the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee’s Report on benefit sanctions, the Government has outlined a series of policy changes.

Prompted by the Committee’s recommendation of the introduction of yellow cards, the Government will trial a sanctions warning system which will give claimants a 14-day window to provide evidence of why a sanction should not be imposed.

The Committee welcomes the Government’s response and notes the Government has also:

- issued new guidance to Jobcentre Plus staff to improve awareness of vulnerability and how conditionality can be varied; and

- accepted in principle the need to make hardship payments available from day one of a sanction; to remove the necessity of a separate application process for a hardship payments for vulnerable claimants and those with dependent children; and to extend the definition of groups considered “at risk” for hardship purposes to include those with mental health conditions and those that are homeless.

Frank Field, Chair of the Committee, said:

“Our predecessor Committee conducted some very valuable work on the benefit sanctions regime. We are pleased that the Government has accepted many of the Committee’s criticisms of its approach and, more importantly, the recommendations for change. In particular, we welcome the trial of the “yellow card” warning system and the reassessment of what constitutes hardship.

“Conditionality is an important part of our benefit system, but sanctions must be fair, clearly understood and not plunge families into unjustifable hardship.

“The Government’s response leaves a number of questions unanswered. We will be tracking the progress closely to ensure that the Government follows through on the spirit of this constructive response in practice.

“I will be writing to the Secretary of State asking for further information on the detail and timing of his plans. We will also ask him about them when he gives evidence to the Committee on Wednesday morning.”

What the politicians say: 

Shadow work and pensions secretary Owen Smith claimed that the written statement had been "snuck out" and did not address "any of the principal recommendations" of the select committee.

"In particular it doesn't address the recommendation as to whether there should be an independent review into those people who have died while subject to benefit sanctions," he said.

Kirsty McHugh, chief executive of the Employment Related Services Association, said: "We welcome the recognition by the secretary of state that the sanctions system is in need of reform, but are concerned that the changes today don't go far enough."

She said that for some jobseekers receiving a sanction could act as a wake-up call, but for the majority the sanction system was more likely to "hinder the journey to employment".

The response is published alongside a letter from the Secretary of State to the Chair.

Iain Duncan Smith, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, will give oral evidence to the Committee on the Department’s 2014-15 Annual Report and Accounts at 9.30 am on Wednesday 28 October in the Wilson Room, Portcullis House.

The Association of Pension & Benefits Claimants CIC will be bringing that event live here at our website. 

PLEASE FIND ATTTATCHED IAN DUNCAN SMITHS LETTER