Rudd cutting maximum penalty for benefit claimants

LONDON: Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd has said she is cutting the maximum financial sanctions for benefit claimants in a drive to ensure the system is “fair and compassionate” for all.In a speech in London, Rudd said the maximum penalty for claimants who fail to meet conditions — such as showing they are looking for work — would be cut from three years to six months.She said the Department for Work and Pensions would undertake additional studies to see if further improvements could be made to the system. “I want to ensure that the penalties for not meeting these conditions are proportionate, particularly for the most vulnerable,” she said in her address to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation.“I will end financial sanctions for welfare claimants that last for three years. Such sanctions were rarely used but I believe they were counterproductive and ultimately undermined our goal of supporting people into work. In the future, the longest length of sanctions will be six months. I am undertaking an evaluation of the effectiveness of Universal Credit sanctions to see whether other improvements can be made.”

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