Summary The government maintains benefit sanctions are only used as a last resort for a very small minority of claimants. This briefing illustrates how the DWP understates Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) sanction rates, how the risk of...

Key findings Benefit sanctions are a significant part of the benefit system, and cannot be dismissed as a minor element – at a recent peak, around one in seven single parents claiming JSA were sanctioned Single parents...