Stats: Universal Credit benefit sanctions: July 2020: 7 (Seven) – July 2019: 22,565
DWP Official Statistics – Benefit sanctions statistics to July 2020 (experimental) – 10 Novermber 2020
“During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak,
you will not get a sanction if you cannot keep
to your Claimant Commitment“
See footnote below for the history of this quote.
“Compliance
Claimants are only expected to do what is reasonable. When work
coaches are considering expected hours of work search and work
related requirements, they must include the impact of coronavirus.
Work coaches should not take any action if the claimant has not met all
their work related requirements, but can show a reasonable level of
activity“
Source: DWP ‘Spotlight on: Fortnightly work search reviews‘ – disclosed 29 September 2020
Universal Credit (UC) guidance (179 docs)
DEP2020-0646, committed on 29 October 2020
https://depositedpapers.parliament.uk/depositedpaper/2282591/files – Past copies: https://mrfrankzola.wordpress.com/all-universal-credit-guidance/
Always cross check the above DWP guidance with information on gov.uk, Advice for decision making (ADM), Decision maker’s guide (DMG) and Understanding Universal Credit. As well as FOI disclosures as they often have more relevant information from a Social Security claimant point of view, such as how UC Claimant Commitments (CC) are more relaxed due to Covid 19 and associated effects on CC Compliance and Benefit Sanctions.
Caveat: The above sanctions information is the subject of an FOI request and wider discussion. The Social Security Advisory Committee, The Commons Library, The Work and Pensions Committee and a few MPs have been requested to investigate these matters.
Footnote
1.10 Sanctions
During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, you will not get a sanction if you cannot keep to your Claimant Commitment.
“Updated 6 April 2020”
https://web.archive.org/web/20201016103130/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-you/draft-uc-and-you
Accessed 09/11/2020:
“Updated 20 October 2020”
1.10 Sanctions
During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, you will not get a sanction if you cannot keep to your Claimant Commitment.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-you/draft-uc-and-you
Archive https://web.archive.org/web/20201109162631/https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/universal-credit-and-you/draft-uc-and-you (copied 09/11/2020)
Hat Tip for Benefit Sanctions info above (1.10) Anita Bellows twitter.com/AnitaBellows12 @AnitaBellows12 (October 2020)
.
.
.
.
Frank Zola 