DWP Central Freedom of Information Team
Annex A
e-mail: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.
gov.uk
Our Ref: 4737
07. October 2013
Annex A
Dear Mr Powell ,
Thank you for your Freedom of Information request received on 3 October 2013. You asked
for:-
I have recently become aware of some ridiculous reasons as to why the DWP have sanctioned
people. I'm going to present some of these below. For each case I would like to see a report
showing what the DWP have done in each case to avoid the same thing happening in future.
Blunder 1:
Claimant's gran dies during the night. The next morning claimant's partner calls the job centre
and asks if claimant can come in the following day instead. The centre agrees, and claimant
signs in the next day.
Then claimant receives a letter stating that they failed to sign in and would be sanctioned if
they did’t reply within seven days. Claimant replies, explaining the situation. The job centre
gives claimant a six week sanction for not replying.
Source: http://stupidsanctions.tumblr.com/
Blunder 2:
Claimant gets a job interview. It’s at the same time as their job centre appointment, so they
reschedule the job centre. Claimant attends rearranged appointment and then receives a letter
saying their benefits will be stopped because going to a job interview isn’t a good enough
reason to miss an appointment.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2347281/Unemployed-graduate-benefits-
stopped-missing-job-centre-appointment-INTERVIEW.html
Blunder 3:
Claimant signs in on time, has been to interviews and applied for work. Their job centre advisor
suggests claimant makes a two-line change to their CV, which they do, but fail to give the
updated CV to the job centre (claimant wasn't told they had to). Claimant was sanctioned for
four weeks.
Source: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4638603
Blunder 4:
Claimant works for 20 years and then misses a job centre appointment because they hadn’t
had the process clearly explained. They are sanctioned for 3 weeks.
Source: https://twitter.com/politicalhackuk/status/335082791144411136
Blunder 5:
Claimant gets a job that starts in two weeks time. Claimant doesn't look for work while they are
waiting to start their job. Claimant is sanctioned.
Source: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2013/feb/10/york-living-wage-spending-cuts-
poverty-spreads
Blunder 6:
Claimant is forced to retire due to a heart condition, and they claim Employment and Support
Allowance. During their assessment they have a heart attack. They are sanctioned for not
completing their assessment.
Source:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130319/debtext/130319-
0002.htm#column_839
Blunder 7:
It’s Christmas Day and claimant doesn't fill in their job search evidence form to show that
they've looked for all the new jobs that are advertised on Christmas Day. They are sanctioned.
Merry Christmas.
Source: https://twitter.com/PovertyAlliance/statuses/316531225198211072
Blunder 8:
Claimant is given a training appointment that clashes with their job centre appointment. The
job centre is unwilling to rearrange its appointment and tells them to get a letter from the
training organisation. The training organisation says it doesn’t provide letters.
Source:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130319/debtext/130319-
0002.htm#column_847
Blunder 9:
Claimant applies for three jobs one week and three jobs the following Sunday and Monday.
Because the job centre week starts on a Tuesday it treats this as applying for six jobs in one
week and none the following week. Claimant is sanctioned for 13 weeks for failing to apply for
three jobs each week.
Source: http://www.pontefractandcastlefordexpress.co.uk/news/local-news/benefit-cut-in-job-
hunt-row-1-6038130
Blunder 10:
Claimant misses their job centre appointment due to the funeral of a close family relative.
Claimant is sanctioned.
Source:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130319/debtext/130319-
0002.htm#column_836
Blunder 11:
Claimant has been unemployed for seven months and is forced onto a workfare scheme (you
stated in my previous request Workfare didn't exist?) in a shop miles away, but can’t afford to
travel. Claimant offers to work in a nearer branch but is refused and gets sanctioned for not
attending their placement.
Source:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm130319/debtext/130319-
0002.htm#column_836
Blunder 12:
Claimant has a job interview which overruns so they arrive at their job centre appointment 9
minutes late. They get sanctioned for a month.
Source: http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?353511-Work-
programme-is-unreal!
Blunder 13:
Claimant can’t afford to travel to look for work so they get sanctioned.
Source: https://twitter.com/RTCAB/status/278572512114249728
Blunder 14:
Claimant's job centre advisor suggests a job. When they go online to apply it says the job has
“expired” so they don’t (can't) apply. They are sanctioned for 13 weeks.
Source: http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20130726102457AAnCm6B
Blunder 15:
Claimant misses their job centre appointment as it clashes with their work programme
interview. They get sanctioned.
Source: https://twitter.com/RTCAB/status/278572512114249728
Blunder 16:
Claimant volunteers in a youth club. The job centre thinks this is ‘paid work’ so they are
sanctioned.
Source: https://twitter.com/UkuleleKris/status/314033510748925952
Blunder 17:
Claimant doesn’t apply for an IT job as it requires skills they don’t have. They get sanctioned.
Source: http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/made-a-new-claim-with-the-job-
centre.307993/#post-12080631
Blunder 18:
Claimant misses a second appointment because they are ill. Sanctioned.
Source: https://twitter.com/thinktyler/status/300925274013442048
Blunder 19:
Claimant is sanctioned for leaving an inappropriate A4e-run Launchpad course as they plan to
continue their gardening diploma and volunteering. They ask to appeal the decision and are
given the wrong forms.
Source: http://adventuresinworkfare.blogspot.co.uk/
Blunder 20:
Claimant gets a job interview but it’s on the day of their nan’s funeral. They attended three
interviews the day before. They try to rearrange this one, but company reports them for failing
to accept a job. Sanctioned.
Source: https://twitter.com/GayMentalist/status/314075259450060800
Blunder 21:
Claimant's job centre advisor tells them that emailing their CV to a company is not enough;
they must physically hand over a paper copy too. They must also provide printouts of all emails
to their advisor. They cannot afford this - they do not have their own printer - so are told to give
the advisor access to their personal email account. They check with another advisor who tells
them to do as the first advisor required. (This is illegal)
Source: http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.php?t=4772115
Blunder 22:
Claimant applies for more jobs than required by their jobseeker’s agreement, but forgets to
state on the form that they've checked the local paper (which they’ve been instructed to do by
a jobseeker’s direction). They’re sanctioned.
Source: https://twitter.com/steveplrose/status/335084004401352704
Blunder 23:
Claimant is on a workfare placement and their job centre appointment comes round. The job
centre tells them to sign on then go to their placement – which they do. The placement reports
them for being late and they get sanctioned for 3 months.
Source: http://alturl.com/bh3cc
Finally, quite a number of these blunders mention workfare yet a previous FoI response from
you states workfare doesn't exist.
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/workfare_where_is_the_time_to_lo
Considering it doesn't exist there are plenty of references to it. Why are you saying Workfare
doesn't exist?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workfare_in_the_United_Kingdom
It may be helpful if I explain the role of the Freedom of Information Act. The Act provides a
right of access to recorded information held by a public authority like DWP (subject to certain
exemptions). The Act does not provide that a public authority must create new information to
answer questions; nor does it provide that a public authority give advice, opinion or explanation
in relation to issues/policies under question.
As the DWP cannot verify the details of the reported cases listed we are unable to ascertain
whether the information exists or not. However, it is also worth explaining that information
relating to an individual customer is exempt under Section 40 of the FoI Act and we would not
provide such information.
In terms of your reference to ‘workfare’ the DWP have explained that we do not operate any
scheme entitled ‘workfare’. The link you have provided is a link to Wikipedia and therefore not
a DWP source of information. The DWP therefore does not hold any information relating to this
request.
If you have any queries about this letter please contact me quoting the reference number
above.
Yours sincerely,
DWP Central FoI Team
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