To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to introduce a warning system to provide benefit claimants with an opportunity to explain any non-compliance before sanctions are imposed.
Answered on
17 September 2015
This is already an established part of the process. All claimants are informed of the responsibilities they must fulfil in order to receive benefit, and the consequences of failing to comply. This is done in discussions with work coaches and through the Claimant Commitment.
Where it appears a claimant has failed to comply with a particular requirement and the case is being referred to a decision maker, the claimant is asked to provide information they wish to be taken into account, including their reasons for non-compliance, before the imposition of a sanction.
Anyone who disagrees with a sanction has the right to appeal.