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J J Ellison
UK News

Methodist Church on benefit sanctions: "We want change"

by Hannah Tooley

They say people can have their money stopped, known as sanctioning, for things like turning up late.

Paul Morrison, policy advisor at the Methodist Church, told Premier that in his eyes the root of the problem is clear: "People within congregations or people known to congregations get into trouble and churches are helping out, and it's one of the great things the church can do - and it should always have to do them.

"But when we see a clear injustice and clear cause for why people need help, it's also part of the churches role to say we want this to change, we want this to stop, we want the system to be more fair so these people don't need our help.

"And that's why we've been calling for this review into the sanction system."

Mr Morrison said often people were sanctioned because the transport they were relying on turned up late. There had also been cases of people turning up at the wrong building, or having a job but not working the hours asked of them.

He added that the impact this can have on individuals is huge and people can even go without food for weeks due to lack of funds: "When your cheque doesn't come in, or the money doesn't come into your account, it can take days or weeks to find out why it hasn't arrived.

"Is is because you've been sanctioned? Is it because you've been moved from one benefit to another?

"And churches see lots of these people."

A DWP spokesperson said: "The vast majority of jobseekers do everything expected of them in return for their benefits, and accept the support on offer to move into work.

"There are now record levels of employment in the UK, and unemployment is back to pre-recession levels. The jobcentre regime, of which sanctions are a part, has played an important role in this.

"We keep the system under constant review and will be trialling a new 'early warning' system which will give people who are about to be sanctioned an extra opportunity to put their side of the story.

"As well as focusing claimants on their job search, it will further ensure the system is fair to both them and to hard-working taxpayers."

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