At a time when 2.47 million people are out of work, and the ratio of

jobseekers to unfilled vacancies stands at 4:1 across the UK, the government

is tightening the screws on unemployed people even further. Not content

with its current sanctions regime, the government is rolling out what it calls

a Claimant Commitment. This will replace the Jobseekers Agreement for all

new JSA claimants by April 2014. Heralding the Commitments introduction

at the Tory Party conference, Employment Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said

For those who arent doing all they could, or who we think are cheating the

system, it is time to make clear that enough is enoughno longer will a life

on benefits be an option if you can work. He clearly hasn't tried to live off

benefits or dealt with the punitive JSA system.

Stop punishing the unemployed! We refuse to pay for their capitalist crisis!

580,000 claimants have lost benefit

under the new sanctions regime,

and in 48,000 cases, for three years.

The DWP says that looking for work should be a full-time job. The

Claimant Commitment involves a strict compliance regime, under

which claimants can be required to undertake up to 35 hours a week of

job-searching, or any other activity a Jobcentre job coach thinks is ap-

propriate. The Commitment will be even more oppressive than the ex-

isting set of sanctions introduced in October 2012. Under these, 580,000

claimants have lost benefit, and in 48,000 cases, for three years.

Other activities that a claimant may be expected to undertake will in-

clude work-focused interviews whenever and wherever a jobcentre

decides; work preparation activities, which are designed to force those

with sicknesses or disabilities into a health care regime dictated by the

jobcentre; and meeting a work availability requirement, where a claim-

ant has to accept employment immediately, regardless of its suitability,

or the level of pay and conditions. There is no extra provision for the bus

fares, internet and phone costs, or other expenses incurred looking for a

job 35 hours every week.

Benefits Are Under Attack. Fight Back!

If a claimant breaks any part of their Commitment,

they will be subject to sanctions which will mean a deduction, penalty

or suspension of all their benefits. A claimant receiving three sanctions

can see their benefit stopped entirely for up to three years. Sanctions

can be medium or high level; medium level can result from things like

failing to apply for the agreed number of jobs each week (even if there

are no new jobs available), failing to turn up to a job interview, or even

just being sulky and uncommunicative in an interview.

Claimants can be sanctioned for the most absurd of reasons. Birming-

ham Communities Against the Cuts reported, cites these examples Its

Christmas Day. You dont do any jobsearch, because its Christmas Day.

So you get sanctioned; You get a job interview, its at the same time

as your JCP appointment, so you rearrange your JCP appointment ...

You attend your rearranged appointment then get a letter saying your

benefits will be stopped because going to a job interview is not a good

enough reason for missing an appointment.

Claimants have a five-day window to appeal against any sanction in

which they must show good cause for their failure to meet the rules

of their Commitment, a vague term open to prejudiced interpretation.

In the meantime all they will be able to get is a hardship loan which

they will have to pay back. The current sanctions regime is already a

major contributor to the massive rise in the use of food banks: the

number of people referred to the Trussell Trust between April and Sep-

tember 2013 compared to the same period in 2012, a total of 350,000

people. It will only get worse with the Claimant Commitment.

Enough already! Organise against benefit

cuts and sanctions. An injury to one

is an injury to all!

What to do if you have been sanctioned:

1) Challenge it! You have five days to explain why you have 'good cause'. You

first write, or phone, the DWP office that made the decision, and say you

want a reconsideration. There is a new rule that you have to do this before

you can appeal. If you write, you need to give your name, national insurance

number, address, the date the decision was made, and which benefit you

were claiming. If you can get enough information to prove the sanction was

not in accord with the benefit rules, you might be able to get the decision

changed at the reconsideration stage. If your Claimant Commitment or

Jobseeker's Agreement has been fixed by your job centre adviser to be some-

thing you couldnt do, or difficult to sustain, you could get the decision

changed because it is unreasonable

2)Apply for a hardship paymentdemand an application form at the Job Cen-

tre you may fit into the criteria of being 'vulnerable' meaning that you

should receive your hardship payment sooner, check the criteria at the job

centre.

3)Inform the revenues and benefits officetake proof of the sanction to your

local housing office as soon as possible, tell them you have no other income.

Housing Benefit and council tax reduction will be stopped following a sanc-

tion until you provide up to date information about your new weekly income

to prevent any possible overpayments. If you do nothing you may end up

with rent and council tax arrears, which may lead to legal action.

4)Continue signing on, even though you are not getting paid. If you dont, or

if you don't comply with your Jobseeker's Agreement or Claimant commit-

ment, you could lose your benefit for a longer period and your Housing Bene-

fit may also be affected.

5) Organise with other claimants to fight back! Our greatest strength lies in

numbers and organisation. Contact Newcastle Unite Community Branch to

take action against sanctions.

Email: craigycricket@yahoo.co.uk or yllknhj@hotmail.co.uk Phone: 07513618636 or 077869 43143