October 2017

Work and pensions secretary David Gauke admits sanctions can harm claimants with mental health issues.

What: Work and pensions secretary David Gauke admits that the system of benefit sanctions often fails to work and can instead cause harm to claimants, particularly those with mental health conditions. Yet he insists that any “successful” welfare system has to be dependent on conditionality and that this “does ultimately have to be backed up by a system of sanctions”.

Why significant: A rare admission by a minister of the potential harm caused by DWP policy.