I stand by my commitments to the city and strive to stand up for the most vulnerable and those who are disadvantaged within Bath. I have already started to do this, and have worked with organisations such as MIND, the Trauma Recovery Centre in Bath and hope to also continue helping Bath Carer’s Centre. Care and support is really important to me, due to my mother’s own disability, and my brother and his wife are both doctors. I am also encouraged that Housing Association tenants are being encouraged to buy their own homes; something that will help to bring people out of poverty and help them to establish security and stability in their lives. I look forward to standing up for Bath.
I was deeply saddened to read about the passing of David Clapson, Mark Wood and Jacqueline Harris along with other deaths reported in the media, and I extend my sincerest condolences to their friends and families. While I feel it would be inappropriate for me to comment on individual cases, I am happy to clarify the Government's policies on benefit sanctions and welfare reform more broadly.
It is important to have a system based on fairness which will provide value for money and place greater emphasis on personal responsibility. The Government spends £94bn every year on working-age benefits, so unemployed people and people on low income can meet basic needs. Consequently, I believe that claimants have a responsibility to do everything they can to get back into work. Benefit sanctions are not new: they have existed for decades to encourage people to engage with the support being offered. Over 70 per cent of claimants say they are more likely to follow the rules if they know they risk having their benefits stopped. I am glad the overwhelming majority of claimants stick to their commitments and are not sanctioned.
However, I can assure you that sanctions are used as a last resort. I am reassured that the Government has put in place a comprehensive monitoring regime to ensure that sanctions are always and only applied where appropriate. Importantly, the decision to impose a sanction is taken by an independent decision maker, and everyone is made aware of their right to appeal. I would like to emphasise that claimants have every opportunity to present additional evidence. Those in genuine need are able to apply for hardship payments.
I can further reassure you that the Department of Work and Pensions does not sanction vulnerable claimants - such as those with learning difficulties or mental health conditions without making every effort to contact them, their carer, or their healthcare professional first. Please allow me to reiterate that sanctions are only used as a last resort for the tiny minority who refuse to engage with support, and that sanctions for Jobseekers' Allowance claimants have fallen over the past year.
I would also like to reassure you that there are no targets for sanctions, and, in fact, the number of sanctions has gone down over the past year. 94 per cent of Jobseekers Allowance claimants stick to their commitments and are not sanctioned, and less than 1 per cent of Employment and Support Allowance claimants - the main in-work sickness benefit - are sanctioned.