SANCTIONS IMPOSED DISPROPORTIONATELY ON DISABLED PEOPLE

A study by Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Social Policy, Dr Ben Baumberg Geiger of the University of Kent, has revealed that disabled people in the UK in receipt of benefits have had a million sanctions imposed in less than a decade, whilst unemployed disabled claimants are up to 53% more likely to have their benefits cut than people who are not disabled.

The research also concluded that conditionality on benefits has little or no effect on improving employment for disabled people.

Concerns were also raised about the negative impact of sanctions and the threat of them on claimants’ health.

Patricia Gibson MP said:

“These findings raise serious concerns about how disabled claimants and their conditions are treated by the UK benefits system.

“No system should impact adversely on the most vulnerable people in our society.

“The UK Tory Government must take responsibility for this shameful state of affairs and investigate why this is happening.

“Sanctions are bad enough but this scandal just adds weight to our plans to develop a fair and equitable benefits system.”