With their new report published today, the Work and Pensions Committee have called for an independent inquiry to examine whether benefits sanctions have been applied “appropriately, fairly and proportionately” — so why did they largely ignore key evidence provided on the arbitrary targets driving those sanctions?

Esthery McVey told the committee:

“Categorically, there are no targets for benefits sanctions.”

So, errrr, why were the union for DWP staff able to provide the committee with a series of redacted internal documents referring to targets and other euphemisms such as “requirements”. PCS claims it has been “inundated … with evidence about the pressure put on staff and the existence of targets”.

Here is an email from a team manager questioning a low level of referrals for sanctions (DMA referrals) by their team. Notably, the message was sent at out of the office at 10:30pm — when then manager would not even have access to claimant records:

‘Claimants are complying with their commitments? Impossible!’ 1,578 interviews with job seekers at one centre found that 96% “did everything that was required of them to satisfy their obligations for claiming JSA”. But this news is welcomed with dismay:

The following email not only re-emphasises the targets for sanction referals, but suggests moving the goalposts in order to trip up their own claimants:

The emails above refer to sanctions referrals. So what actually happens when those reach staff who determine who will actually have their benefits suspended? Well, they have an 80% target:

To top it off, staff have been subject to formal ‘Performance Improvement Plans’ and seen their pay awards cut for not making enough sanctions referrals — all while the department denies the existence of targets.

It could only happen at the DWP.