Have you or a family member experienced benefits sanctions?

[Maurice_Mencap]

Hi everyone,

Mencap is looking to find people with a learning disability who have experienced being sanctioned on either Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance.

Your story will be anonymous and won’t be shared publicly unless you give us permission.

It will be used to help us shape what we say to the new Government about benefits, and show the issues that people with a learning disability are experiencing with their benefits.

We'd like to know:

1) When did you get sanctioned and what benefit were you on?

2) What happened that led to you being sanctioned?

3) How do you feel about being sanctioned?

4) What impact did the sanction have on you? For example: cost of living impact, impact on moving into employment, impact on health.

If you are happy to share your experiences please email [e-mail].

Thank you!

[notmyfault2]

What does sanctioned mean please

[White25 in reply to notmyfault2]

1 it can mean to approve of something

2 it can mean to be punished

[Maurice_Mencap Partner in reply to notmyfault2]

Hi notmyfault2 , when it comes to receiving benefits, it's a word the Department for Work and Pensions use when they reduce or stop your benefits for a period of time.

This can happen for reasons like if you miss appointments or interviews with them, or if they think you have not done enough to look for a job, It can be different reasons depending on what benefit you get.

I hope that helps.

[greenapple123_]

No experience of this, but I would be very interested in those that have.

[parasiticworm]

I'm on benefits and my deputy at social services deal with all my benefits. I've never been sanctioned, never get called to work focused interviews and never had a stop in my benefits in 21 years. Why is this?