Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to ensure that sanctions are imposed as a last resort and after adequate warning.

Sanctions are only ever applied if a claimant has failed to undertake their agreed requirements without good reason. All requirements are set in discussion with the claimant and tailored to their capability and circumstances, making them realistic and achievable. Requirements are regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain appropriate for every claimant.

Our work coaches regularly repeat key messages about the need for a claimant to meet their requirements and what the consequences of not meeting them are. If a claimant has known vulnerabilities, we take them into account and provide additional support where possible.

Before a referral is made, a pre-referral quality check is completed as an additional safeguarding measure to check for any claimant vulnerabilities and to review the appropriateness of the activity set.

If a referral is made, an independent DWP decision maker will further consider the claimant’s circumstances, whether the work-related requirement was appropriate, the external situation at the time of failure, and any evidence of good reason, before deciding whether a sanction is applicable.