Inequalities in the application of welfare sanctions in Britain
Unemployed people in Britain who are in receipt of government welfare benefits canhave these benefits stopped if they fail to comply with certain conditions. Such astoppage 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 tounemployed people who are not disabled, and ii) to identify demographic inequalitiesin the application of sanctions. Using data published by the UK Department of Workand 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 thedrivers of this inequality.