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Motion · S6M-03428 · 1 Mar 2022

UK Social Security Sanctions

Lodged by Maggie Chapman (Scottish Green Party) Standard Motion 19 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament notes with regret that recent statistics, published by the Department for Work and Pensions, reportedly showed that the Universal Credit full service sanction rate, at 2.37%, has returned “to a level that is comparable to the pre-pandemic position”; understands that a number of academic studies show that social security sanctions can cause considerable harm to recipients, including damage to mental health; further understands that the UK Government’s Way to Work campaign proposes to reduce the time offered to unemployed social security recipients to seek work in their preferred job sector from three months to four weeks; understands that there is evidence to suggest that such a move would worsen appropriate matching between jobseekers and employment opportunities, with, it believes, negative consequences for both individual jobseekers and the broader economy; notes that Fair Start Scotland is a voluntary programme; understands that sanctions cannot operate through it; welcomes that a Fair Start Scotland evaluation reportedly found that participants interviewed for an evaluation of the scheme enjoyed not feeling pressured by the service, due to its voluntary nature, and felt this approach helped them to engage with the support on offer more willingly and effectively, and calls on the UK Government to scrap benefit sanctions.

Supporters (19)

Source: the Scottish Parliament motions and amendments record.