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Evidence that benefit sanctions work?
‘Interesting’ transcript from last week’s Work and Pensions Committee evidence sesson with Esther Mcvey. The Minister was asked what evidence there is of the impact on claimants of the tougher sanctions regime introduced by the Welfare Reform Act 2012.
Well worth a read, but you can get a flavour of it just from the Committee’s questions, even without seeing the answers -
- That was not my question, Minister ...
- What evidence did you have? There must have been evidence ...
- That is still not my question, Minister. My question is: what evidence did you have ...
- ... again I ask the question: what evidence did you have ...
- Can I get you to point to any other evidence ...
- That is my question: what evidence do you have that it is effective? I have not heard anything this morning that tells us if it is effective.
- What evidence?
- ... you are still not really giving us evidence ...
- I take it from your failure to answer the question that you did not do any research. You do not have any evidence that you, as a Department, considered the financial effects these extended sanctions would have on individual claimants.
‘You seem to be very selective in terms of the evidence that you will accept.’
Yes.
Priceless! Thanks for sharing. Made my morning.