‘They simply don’t care’

Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner on benefits sanctions:

“There is not one shred of evidence showing that benefits sanctions help people get back into work. But for those who do get sanctioned, the consequences are devastating, and sometimes even deadly.

“The latest National Audit Office (NAO) report shows that the DWP has never carried out any analysis on sanctions’ effectiveness, meaning the department never even wanted to find out if sanctions work – they simply don’t care. Sanctions are part and parcel of their twisted ideology that says that if you are out of work, or if you don’t earn enough, even if you’re working full-time, you must be punished.

“Unite has long been at the forefront of fighting benefits sanctions – and we will continue campaigning until the sanctions regime is stopped in its entirety.”

Unite assistant general secretary Steve Turner