UK Jobcentres tricking the vulnerable to save money and meet government targets

Jobcentres 'tricking' people out of benefits to cut costs, says whistleblower. Soaring number of sanctions against unemployed amid claims that DWP staff are being told to trip people up with paperwork.
Rising numbers of vulnerable jobseekers are being tricked into losing benefits amid growing pressure to meet welfare targets, a Jobcentre Plus adviser has told the Guardian.

A whistleblower said staff at his jobcentre were given targets of three people a week to refer for sanctions, where benefits are removed for up to six months. He said it was part of a "culture change" since last summer that had led to competition between advisers, teams and regional offices.

"Suddenly you're not helping somebody into sustainable employment, which is what you're employed to do," he said. "You're looking for ways to trick your customers into 'not looking for work'. You come up with many ways. I've seen dyslexic customers given written job searches, and when they don't produce them -- what a surprise -- they're sanctioned. The only target that anyone seems to care about is stopping people's money.

"'Saving the public purse' is the catchphrase that is used in our office ... It is drummed home all the time -- you're saving the public purse. Feel good about stopping someone's money, you've just saved your own pocket. Its a joke."

The claims came as the big businesses handed contracts to get the long term jobless into worktoday said the government should privatise jobcentres so that their firms could work with people who have been jobless for less than a year.

Statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show the total number of cases where people have lost their benefits has soared since the beginning of 2010 to 75,000 in October, the latest month available. The figures also reveal the number of claimants with registered disabilities being cut off has more than doubled to almost 20,000 over the same period.

This follows a change in the rules in April last year where sanctions were extended to claimants who were late for jobcentre interviews and other less serious offences.

When a claimant is sanctioned their jobseeker's allowance is stopped. They then have to apply for hardship payments, which are usually about half the allowance, or just over £30 a week. John, in Wigan, has been sanctioned for six months and says he has to rely on food parcels and must sleep on his friend's couch. "It's left me in a state of depression. I've lost weight, I'm tired ... I feel like I've been attacked for no reason."

READ MORE AND EXTRA VIDEOS-
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/apr/01/jobcentres-tricking-people-ben...

Additional reporting: Lisa Evans

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[angyroooo]

@MetalHeadViking are you completely deaf? dumb and blind?

Unemployment insurance for the poor slaves is destroying the economy? What about the banksters who rigged a financial ponzi then got bailed out by the taxpayers to the tune of TRILLIONS?

Why don't the banks and the corporate CEO's "turn to their church... their family?"

Quit blaming the poor. Go back to the stone age, TROG.

[Les5146]

We need a complete regime change, A new System completely, One in which we have true Democracy where Government is run for the people by the people. With todays Technology we could have a system where everybody gets a vote on every issue.We need a National Banking system run on a non Usury basis. Fuck the privately owned Central Banks Let them sing for the National Debt.Humanity has outgrown being ruled by faceless ruling class time to throw the Bastards to the wolves.

[Drumthunder99]

@tommygf333 really!

[Boomerhand]

@mazeightysix Appeal it firstly include a letter addressed to the deccision maker explaining the situation. Next you should make it clear that you are willing to transfer over to ESA Employment Support Allowance your doctor should transfer you over to that and you should be fine. ESA does allow people wanting to get back into work support ask your gp about it for a club note and done.

[computer00fulify]

Tommygf333 you are a prick I hope you loss your little job and starve to death

[tommygf333]

@bigfatcahoonas i am partly dyslexic and partly dont give a fuck about spelling. my business did fold, so insted of bumming off everyone elses backs a braught a caravan and live in it to save money, i have now built my business back up slowly. most doll claimers choose to be lazy bastards there are jobs out there we have to get the hard working polish in here to do them cuz them lazy bastards want to sit at home wanking off to jeromy kyle drinking white lightning.

[bigfatcahoonas]

@10lx so it's not the unemployed you have a problem with just any free thinking individual who fails to share your hatred and vile abuse whilst trolling on youtube. Stop commenting if you don't want to "waste your valuable time". I didn't realise that my tax contribution to this country was making me such dirt and dregg, how does one avoid being this, is it by agreeing with an imbecile on youtube?

[bigfatcahoonas]

@10lx looks like your comments were removed again because you are a moron, well done.

[bigfatcahoonas]

@10lx oh yeah I'm self employed thanks and have been since the day I finished my education and drunk or not I still think a dam sight better then you. Not pathetic excuses, economic fact, if you had to run a business instead of just being a brainless lackey you'd have a better view of life.

[bigfatcahoonas]

@10lx A well reasoned account of this country's economic policy is nonsense, well done; but your right our economic policy is nonsense because it has to pay benefits to those employed as well as unemployed, instead of making sure that wages meet cost of living, costing everyone billions in tax.

6.3 million families, containing 10.1 million children, were tax credit recipients as of Dec 2010 and 9.35 million inactive people aged from 16 to 64 not classed as unemployed 30% of the uk don't work.

[bigfatcahoonas]

@10lx Smoking and Drinking should be illegal ha, there goes a mass of tax. So I'm a liberal because I believe in freedom. You just spout the same BS that the media feeds you. Learn your economics, the capital system that you love so dearly requires a constant unemployment level of 1.5% to work, without those so called useless people society will fail economically. You were just nervous being outside your comfortable little life and having to rub shoulders with real people.