Inequalities in the application of welfare sanctions in Britain

Unemployed people in Britain who are in receipt of government welfare benefits can have these benefits stopped if they fail to comply with certain conditions. Such a stoppage is known as a ‘benefit sanction’. The present working paper has two aims: i) to provide an introduction to British system of sanctions, specifically as it applies to unemployed people who are not disabled, and ii) to identify demographic inequalities in the application of sanctions. Using data published by the UK Department of Work and Pensions, we find that some groups of unemployed claimants (younger people, men, and ethnic minorities) are at substantially higher risk of experiencing a sanction. This working paper will be updated at a later date with analyses investigating the drivers of this inequality.