The government says it has reintroduced automated JSA and ESA sanction notifications from 23/11/2015. If you feel that your client has been wrongly sanctioned, then in most cases there is good reason provision in law that may allow the sanction to be challenged. Challenge first by mandatory reconsideration and then if necessary an independent appeal. In the meantime your client can also ask for hardship payments. Statistics show that in the year up to June 2015 around 200,000 JSA hardship payments and around 7,000 ESA hardship payments were made. JSA hardship payment are usually 60% or 80% of the personal allowance and premiums continue to be paid in full. They are paid if the client applies, is in hardship and either the claimant is not entitled to JSA because they are not available for or actively seeking work, JSA is not paid because a sanction has been imposed on the claimant, the claimant is waiting for a decision about whether they satisfy certain, labour market entitlement conditions at the start of their claim to JSA, the claimant’s JSA is suspended or a Fraud Loss of Benefit penalty has been imposed on the claimant.
Food banks still say that a major reason for their use is benefit delays and changes. Trussell Trust say that these two reasons remain the largest causes(28% and 13% respectively). Low income(22%) and debt(6%) are also relevant.
The government has said that Job centre staff may be placed in food banks. 'Jobcentre Work Coaches undertake outreach work every day in local communities, and have recently been helping people with back-to-work support and advice at the Lalley Centre in Manchester. Early feedback has been very positive. We will reflect on this and see if there is potential for extending engagement where there is local need and Jobcentre Plus are invited to do so.'
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