Sanctions on the rise again. 

http://www.politics.co.uk/news/2017/09/04/benefit-sanctions-shoot-up-50-in-six-months

“The number of sanctions imposed on people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance or Universal Credit rose from 18,994 last July to 33,860 in December, before falling back to the 30,000 mark by March this year.

In the six months to March, the most recent month for which data is available, the number of sanctions had risen by 50%.”

When you design a sanctioned based system, (rights comes based with responsibilities… you know the thing) you set off thinking that it will be simple and transparent and folks’ will use their discretion wisely, and end up with the whole system in chaos and disrepute.