Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many sanctions have been imposed on universal credit claimants who are (a) disabled and (b) experiencing mental health problems in the most recent 12 months for which figures are available.

We engage at a personal and individual level with all of our claimants and are committed to tailoring the support that we give and any conditionality requirements to the specific circumstances of the individuals, such as disabilities and mental health conditions.

Sanctions are only ever used as a last resort when claimants have failed to meet their conditionality requirements without good reason. When considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities, and any evidence of good cause, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.

The information requested is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.