Collection

Benefit sanctions statistics

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 10 September 2013
• Last updated: 17 May 2017, see all updates

Statistics on the number of sanctions imposed on people who receive JSA, ESA, Income Support or Universal Credit.

This page is about official statistics on Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support and Universal Credit sanctions. If you’re looking for information on how sanctions may affect your claim, read:

• how JSA sanctions may affect your claim
• how ESA sanctions may affect your claim
• Universal Credit and You

These statistics are published in the quarterly statistical summary.

Find further breakdowns of these statistics in Stat-Xplore, our online tool for exploring some of DWP’s main statistics. Use Stat-Xplore to create your own tables and charts.

There is contact information and more about DWP statistics on the Statistics at DWP page.

Sanctions statistics

Income Support sanctions statistics

Income Support sanctions statistics are included with JSA and ESA sanctions statistics from May 2017.

From April 2016, Income Support sanctions decisions started to go through the same system as ESA and JSA sanctions decisions to allow standardisation across the benefits. The final publication of the Income Support sanctions statistics for lone parents was published in February 2017 and covered up to the end of September 2016. Any decisions made after this time are published alongside the JSA and ESA decisions in the quarterly statistical summary.

Universal Credit sanctions statistics

Universal Credit sanctions statistics are included with JSA and ESA sanctions statistics from May 2017.

These statistics will initially cover Universal Credit live service, however we anticipate that information on the Universal Credit full service will be included as quality assurance of the data progresses. Universal Credit live service is only available for certain claimant types, but currently covers the majority of people on Universal Credit. Full service is available for all claimant types.

Income Support and Universal Credit statistics have been developed using guidelines set out by the UK Statistics Authority, and are undergoing evaluation. They have therefore been designated as experimental statistics.

Mandatory reconsiderations – JSA, ESA, Income Support and Universal Credit sanction decisions

These statistics now incorporate data on mandatory reconsiderations, which must occur before a claimant can appeal to Her Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service. Mandatory reconsiderations were introduced in October 2013.

New regime for JSA from October 2012

From October 2012, new sanctions rules for JSA were introduced:

• 3 categories of sanction – ‘higher’, ‘intermediate’ and ‘lower’ – depending on the nature of the offence
• different levels of sanction for first, second and third offences
• changes to the date a sanction starts

These new rules broadly align the rules for JSA sanctions with the rules for Universal Credit.

Previously, a sanction started from the beginning of the benefit week after the Decision Maker (DM) decided to impose the sanction. However, to ensure that claimants see the consequences of their actions or inactions sooner, the new rules enable DMs to impose sanctions at a time closer to the offence. The new sanction period begins either:

• on the first day of the benefit week in which the offence occurred, if the claimant has not been paid JSA for that week
• on the first day of the benefit week following the date the claimant was last paid JSA

The legislation for these changes is in the Jobseeker’s Allowance (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

Read an overview of the new sanctions rules.

New regime for ESA from December 2012

From 3 December 2012 a revised sanctions regime for ESA claimants who are in the work-related activity group (WRAG) was introduced.

Under the pre-December 2012 regime, ESA claimants in the WRAG who fail to meet requirements are subject to an open ended sanction which is lifted when they re-comply. The sanction amount is 50% of the work related activity component which rises to 100% of the component after 4 weeks.

The post-December 2012 scheme changed the approach as follows:

• claimants in the WRAG who fail to comply with the conditions for receiving benefit receive an open ended sanction, followed by a fixed period sanction when they re-comply
• the sanctionable amount increased to 100% of the prescribed amount for a single claimant
• a hardship regime for ESA claimants was introduced

1. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to December 2016

   • 17 May 2017
   • Official Statistics

2. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to September 2016

   • 15 February 2017
   • Official Statistics

3. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to June 2016

   • 16 November 2016
   • Official Statistics

4. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to March 2016

   • 17 August 2016
   • Official Statistics

5. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to December 2015

   • 18 May 2016
   • Official Statistics

6. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to September 2015

   • 17 February 2016
   • Official Statistics

7. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to June 2015

   • 11 November 2015
   • Official Statistics

8. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to March 2015

   • 12 August 2015
   • Official Statistics

9. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to December 2014

   • 13 May 2015
   • Official Statistics

10. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to September 2014

    • 18 February 2015
    • Official Statistics

11. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to June 2014

    • 12 November 2014
    • Official Statistics

12. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to March 2014

    • 13 August 2014
    • Official Statistics

13. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to December 2013

    • 27 May 2014
    • Official Statistics

14. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to September 2013

    • 28 February 2014
    • Official Statistics

15. Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to June 2013

    • 5 March 2014
    • Official Statistics

16. Employment and Support Allowance: statistics on sanctions, August 2012

    • 15 August 2012
    • Official Statistics

17. Employment and Support Allowance: statistics on sanctions, May 2012

    • 15 May 2012
    • Official Statistics

18. Employment and Support Allowance: statistics on sanctions, February 2012

    • 14 February 2012
    • Official Statistics

19. Employment and Support Allowance: statistics on sanctions,November 2011

    • 15 November 2011
    • Official Statistics

20. Employment and Support Allowance: statistics on sanctions, August 2011

    • 16 August 2011
    • Official Statistics

21. Employment and Support Allowance: statistics on sanctions, May 2011

    • 16 May 2011
    • Official Statistics

Further information and guidance

DWP also publishes ad hoc statistical analyses, these are statistics not included in our standard publications.

Income Support lone parent regime statistics

1. Benefit sanction statistics: publication strategy

   • 17 May 2017
   • Guidance

2. Benefit sanctions statistics: background information and methodology

   • 17 May 2017
   • Guidance

3. Universal Credit sanctions statistics: background information and methodology

   • 17 May 2017
   • Guidance

Document information

Published: 10 September 2013

Updated: 17 May 2017

+ full page history

1. 17 May 2017 Added the latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics (data to December 2016). Added information about Income Support and Universal Credit sanctions statistics. Also added links to the following publications: 'Universal Credit sanctions statistics: background information and methodology' and 'Income Support lone parent regime statistics'.
2. 15 February 2017 Added latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics (data to September 2016).
3. 16 November 2016 Added the latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics (data to June 2016) and a benefit sanctions statistics background information and methodology note.
4. 17 August 2016 Added latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics to March 2016.
5. 18 May 2016 Published latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics to December 2015 and 'Monthly rate of claimants sanctioned: background information and methodology'.
6. 17 February 2016 Published latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics to September 2015.
7. 11 November 2015 Published latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics to June 2015.
8. 12 August 2015 Added statistics for decisions made to March 2015.
9. 13 May 2015 Added statistics for decisions made to December 2014.
10. 18 February 2015 Added statistics for decisions made to Sept 2014.
11. 12 November 2014 Published statistics for decisions made to June 2014.
12. 7 October 2014 Updated to include historical statistics on ESA sanctions.
13. 13 August 2014 Published latest release with statistics to March 2014.
14. 27 May 2014 Added note regarding amendments to Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to December 2013.
15. 14 May 2014 Published latest release with statistics to December 2013.
16. 5 March 2014 Note added to page regarding issue with the June 2013 statistical release.
17. 28 February 2014 Added a note to the page providing further information about a data issue within the JSA sanction decision data, specifically to do with outcomes from appeals.
18. 19 February 2014 Latest release added with statistics to September 2013
19. 7 February 2014 Update on next release on 19 Febuary through Stat-Xplore with a limited number of excel spreadsheets being published through this page.
20. 6 November 2013 Latest sanction statistics added for Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance along with details of changes to the sanction regime.
21. 23 October 2013 Pre-statistical release announcement added.
22. 10 September 2013 First published.

From: Department for Work and Pensions