Benefit sanctions are pushing some people towards “survival crime” Benefit sanctions are having a “profoundly negative effect” on people that receive them and are pushing some towards “survival crime”, […]

Benefit sanctions are having a “profoundly negative effect” on people that receive them and are pushing some towards “survival crime”, according to a major study looking at restrictions in Britain’s welfare system.

The study led by the University of York is set to say that people subjected to sanctions feel widespread anxiety and disempowerment, with “harsh” or “inappropriate” sanctions creating “deep resentment” and “feelings of injustice”.

Researchers are set to reveal in their preliminary findings tomorrow that sanctions have a severely detrimental effect on people’s health, emotions and finances – leading to debt, reliance of foodbanks and rent arrears.

The i newsletter cut through the noise Email address is invalid Email address is invalid Thank you for subscribing! Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription.

The full findings will be detailed in the first report of the Welfare Conditionality: Sanctions, Support and Behaviour Change Project – part of a five-year study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Support not sanctions

Peter Dwyer, professor of social policy at the University of York, said the “common thread” linking benefit claimants’ successful transition into work was found to be the availability of individual support rather than the threat of sanctions.

He said: “We are not placing figures on how many people experienced negative or positive effects, as this is a qualitative study. But our research findings strongly reflect what participants told us of their experiences.”

“It made me shoplift to tell you the truth. I couldn’t survive.”

A research team from six universities interviewed 480 welfare service users in 2014-15 – including a third who had experienced sanctions – in what is believed to be the largest study of its kind.

Researchers say they received negative reports from most of those they interviewed about the support they received from Jobcentre Plus or the Work Programme.

There were some “limited examples” of good practice and mandatory support helping people to improve their work and personal situations, the report will say, and a minority of service users and practitioners acknowledge some positive outcomes.

No better behaviour

But there was little early evidence of “welfare conditionality” bringing about positive changes in people’s behaviour.

One homeless man in England told researchers: “I got a sanction for not going to an interview. I got sanctioned for a month. It made me shoplift to tell you the truth. I couldn’t survive with no money.”

A DWP spokesman said: “This report completely fails to recognise that there are near record numbers in work and that the number of benefit sanctions has fallen dramatically.

“It’s only right that there are conditions attached to receiving benefits.”