Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment her Department has made of the potential link between the sanctions regime and the mental health and wellbeing of individuals; and if she will make a statement.

No assessment has been made of the potential link between the sanctions regime and the mental health and wellbeing of individuals.

Sanctions are only ever used as a last resort, and when considering whether a sanction is appropriate, a Decision Maker will take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities and any evidence of good cause, into account before deciding whether a sanction is warranted.

We engage at a personal and individual level with all of our claimants and are committed to tailoring the support that we give and any conditionality requirements to the specific circumstances of the individual.