Thousands of families in Coventry over the last year were left without any income after their benefits were sanctioned (stopped or reduced) according to advice agencies working in Coventry. The agencies are so concerned about what is happening to people in Coventry that, together with the Centre for Human Rights in Practice, they are launching a three month survey to find out the full impact of welfare benefit sanctions in Coventry.

The survey is being launched following a meeting attended by over 30 organisations and individuals to discuss benefit sanctions in Coventry. Problems raised at that meeting included:

• Examples of sanctions that appeared particularly severe including one person sanctioned for six weeks for being five minutes late to sign on, who as a result may become homeless, and another sanctioned for accidently putting the date of a job application and the job applied for in the wrong boxes on a form.
• Examples of stress, depression and other mental health problems, including increased suicide risk among clients as a result of sanctions, particularly among female victims of domestic or sexual violence.
• In some cases people only found out that they had been sanctioned when their benefits were stopped and did not know what they had done wrong, or that they had a right to appeal.
• Families with children being left with no income to buy food or pay bills and at increased risk of homelessness because of rent arrears.

As a result of this meeting it was decided to launch a Coventry wide survey to uncover the full extent and impact of sanctions. Coventry agencies are asking their clients and any members of the public who have been sanctioned to take part in the survey, which is completely anonymous. Copies of the survey and advice about what to do if you are sanctioned are available here: http://www.covlaw.org.uk/welfare/sanctions.html

A direct link to the survey can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/FWW7YYW

Speaking at the launch of the survey Janet Gurney from Coventry Law Centre said:

We are really concerned about the impact that sanctions are having on some of the poorest families in Coventry. From the cases that agencies are seeing it looks as if some sanctions are being imposed unfairly, but few people know about their right to appeal, or that appeals are often successful. We would like to support more appeals in Coventry, but we also need to know more about how sanctions are being imposed in Coventry and what affect this is having on families.

The results of the survey will be published, and shared with the Job Centre locally and DWP nationally in the hope of improving practice.

For more information contact Janet Gurney on 02476 253 174 or Mary-Ann Stephenson on 07957 338582

For a link to the full media release click here and also read the Coventry Telegraph's article on the topic of the survey.