Star date: 14th October 2015

`CHALLENGE SANCTIONS' SAY CAMPAIGNERS

This morning, campaigners against benefit sanctions set up shop outside Salford Job Centre off Churchill Way - now ironically re-titled `Salford Opportunities Centre' – to draw attention to welfare attacks that are causing hardship all over the city.

With signs reading `Sanctions Centre', leaflets were handed out to claimants urging them to challenge sanctions and support the new trade unions' Welfare Charter.

Full details here...

Salford Job Centre, on Paddington Close, off Churchill Way, has one of the highest sanctions rates in Greater Manchester, and this morning campaigners handed out leaflets to claimants urging them to challenge any sanctions that come their way...

"We're showing some solidarity with unemployed workers in Salford" explained campaigner, Stef "I feel that they're getting a real bashing from the media and the state, and a lot of people are getting sanctioned for no reason whatsoever.

"They get home and find a letter to say that their benefits have been stopped for four weeks and a lot are not challenging this, so they're going without food for four weeks, getting behind with the rent, getting into debt and having to borrow from friends and family" she added "But there is something they can do; they can challenge the sanctions so I'm here giving people leaflets with the information."

While the national average for sanctions against Job Seekers Allowance claimants is around 7%, in Salford last year the rate was 10.7%, making the city the eleventh worst area in the country (see previous Salford Star article – click here).

If people get sanctions letters, today's leaflet advised them to write back to the address on the letter (or use form DR7 available from the Job Centre) within one month giving reasons why they disagree with the decision and then, if the decision isn't reversed, take in to further appeal using form SSCS1 available from the Salford Unemployed and Community Resource Centre in Eccles*.

Apart from sanctions, confusion with the actual claims system is meaning that many people are not even claiming...

"We met one lady this morning who was quite upset" said Stef "She came in to try and speak on behalf of her grandson who had tried to make a new claim on seven different occasions on seven consecutive days, and completely failed to do so because he was frustrated by the computerised system they use. He had the wrong password and had to go through all these hoops.

"Unfortunately this 18 year old lad is having personal problems; his dad's dying, his mum is bereft and he just gave up in the end, so he's not even signing on and is getting no money whatsoever" she added "His mum is having to support him while going through a major trauma. His grandmother was turned away, they didn't speak to her."

Now trade unions Unite and PCS are getting involved in the Government's benefits blitz with a Welfare Charter containing eight demands, including `A political commitment to full employment achieved with decent jobs', `A wage you can live on for all and a social security system that works to end poverty', `No work conscription – keep volunteering voluntary', `Representation for unemployed workers', `Appoint an Ombudsman for claimants' and `An end to the sanctions regime and current Work Capability Assessment...'.

"It's a new idea and is about demanding respect for unemployed workers and measures that the Government, or any government coming up, can take into consideration" Stef explained "Meanwhile, they've re-named this place the `Salford Opportunities Centre' – so we've re-named it the Salford Sanctions Centre..."

* For help and advice on benefit sanctions, workfare and Bedroom Tax contact the Salford Unemployed and Community Resource Centre, 84-86 Liverpool Road, Eccles M30 OWZ 0161 789 2999.

Photo by Steven Speed