HC Deb 24 June 2004 vol 422 c1525W
Mr. Willetts

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have lost benefit as a result of breaching their community service orders; and what the average loss of benefit has been, broken down by claimants of(a) income support, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) training allowances. [177537]

Mr. Pond

In the period 15 October 2001 to 15 May 2004, 1,789 individuals have been sanctioned as a result of the court finding them in breach of their community order.

1,007 offenders have received a 100 per cent. sanction on jobseeker's allowance with an estimated average weekly loss of benefit at 20 February 2004 of £31.17 per person.

743 people have received a sanction on income support with a 40 per cent. reduction and 39 have received a sanction on income support with a 20 per cent. reduction. The average weekly loss of benefit for the IS claimants at 20 February 2004 was £17.31 per person.

None of these claimants were in receipt of training allowance.

Notes:

1. The figures presented regarding loss of benefit in monetary terms have been estimated using information from the Departmental Central Index (DCI). It is tot possible to determine the actual reduction in all cases.

2. The average loss of benefit should therefore be used as a guide to loss of benefit for individual offenders only.

Source:

Information Centre—IAD, DWP