§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many of those convicted of mugging and street robbery were at the time subject to sanctions on means-tested benefits; and what proportion of convicted offenders this figure represents. [HL3888]
§ Lord RookerThe Home Office collects regular information on offences of robbery and theft from the person but does not routinely collect information on the financial circumstances of convicted persons prior to their committal of an offence.
The Government are determined to tackle the problem of street crime, irrespective of the circumstances of those who commit it. Sanctions on means-tested benefits are used to protect every national insurance contributor from those who through their own actions have lost employment or failed to comply with the entitlement conditions. If these people had acted properly initially they would not have had sanctions placed against them.