sanctions rules

Hi,

does anyone know of or have to hand the actual full regulations for DWP sanctions and the complaints process for it? all ive been able to find online is very generic details online such as '3 levels of sanctions' and the subsequent amount of time, and referral to mandatory reconsideration.

I ask because I was sanctioned without being informed for 'missing' a non work related interview ( it was just to check my information) that I never received a letter for, this is whilst waiting for a tribunal for ESA and also sending in regular doctors notes.

My benefits were stopped and my advisor dealing with my appeal tribunal to go back on ESA had her mandatory reconsideration refused as I was apparently 'passed the deadline' ( I discovered the benefit stop 1 month after it happened)

Roccoco
you say you did not recieve a letter to attend an interview, but did you actually recieve a decision letter concerning the Sanction?

If you did not recieve a decision letter the DWP is correct you cannot request an MR but they should then issue a Decision which can be MR'd


Ask for a Subject access request for all documents and Computer print outs for the Benefit being sanctioned. If no decision letter on record get back to your Adviser.

bill

Thank you both - ive spoken to advisor again, she now says that it was not a 'sanction' but a 'suspension' which ive never heard of?

I never received a decision letter until I queried why I was getting no money, as I had been very poorly in bed I didn't discover this until several weeks after it happened and I called them up, but I never received anything before this point, the letter does not offer an appeal,it says I will get nothing until I give them the information they require.

Surely if im sending in sick notes and also going through an appeal they couldn't just stop all payments without informing me or giving me a chance to rectify?

Thanks

Hi Gordon,

the interview was to ask me for information that I had already provided about my claim ( which I why I have no idea why they needed to ask me again) - it wasn't a work interview in any way, it was called a compliance interview, they claim it was ok for them to stop my benefits because I had failed to answer my phone to discuss my claim - despite me having written to them several times and my advisor having rang and left voicemail messages prior to this new interview date that I didn't know about.

Hope that makes sense, it barely does to me, they claim I cannot be protected from interviews even when im sending in sick notes.