To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) individuals, and (2) households, are currently subject to sanctions for acts or omissions related to Universal Credit.
Answered on
4 December 2017
The latest published statistics show that in March 2017, there were 33,357 people on Universal Credit (UC) with a sanction deduction.
The information requested for the number of households is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.
Source:
DWP Universal Credit Sanctions Official Statistics Database
Notes:
- Figures cover all of UC, both live and full service.
- Figures for March 2017 relate to the second Thursday of the month.
- People on UC may receive deductions from their award as a result of a sanction. These statistics include those sanctions which subsequently go on to be overturned. They are counted up to and including the last month which a deduction is taken. Claimants whose sanction is overturned will be repaid any deduction.
- The number of sanctions will be different under UC compared to Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) as they relate to two different benefits with different conditionality regimes. For example, under UC, if a claimant fails to attend a work-focused interview without good reason, they will be classed as having been sanctioned. Under JSA, if a claimant fails to attend a work-focused interview and does not make contact within five days, their claim is terminated and no sanction is applied.
- This information is Published via the gov.uk website
Answered by
Department for Work and Pensions