Collection

Benefit sanctions statistics

Statistics on the number of sanctions imposed on people who receive Universal Credit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance (Work Related Activity Group) or Income Support.

From:
Department for Work and Pensions
Published
10 September 2013
Last updated
12 November 2024 — See all updates

This quarterly publication provides Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) sanctions statistics on:

  • Universal Credit (UC) full service

Publications preceding February 2024 also include statistics on:

  • UC live service

Publications preceding February 2023 also include statistics on:

  • Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • Employment and Support Allowance Work Related Activity Group (ESA (WRAG))
  • Income Support (IS)

If you’re looking for information on how sanctions may affect your claim, read:

Jobcentre Plus geographical breakdowns availability

As of August 2021, Jobcentre Plus geographical breakdowns for JSA, ESA (WRAG) and IS sanction decisions statistics – usually available on Stat-Xplore – were suspended due to data processing issues. The issues are being investigated and these breakdowns will be restored to Stat-Xplore as soon as possible. Jobcentre Plus breakdowns for the UC sanction rate statistics are still available on Stat-Xplore, because the data for UC comes from a different source.

Statistics covering the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

Statistics covered in this release include data for sanction decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. See the latest statistics release for more information.

Further information

Find future sanction statistics publication dates in our statistics release calendar and more information about DWP statistics on the Statistics at DWP page.

Email the Employment Programmes and Sanction statistics team at epass.team@dwp.gov.uk with feedback and queries about the statistics.

Further breakdowns of these statistics are available in Stat-Xplore, an online tool for exploring some of the main DWP statistics.

Latest release

Background information and guidance

Income Support lone parent regime statistics

Previous releases

Ad hoc releases

Ad hoc releases are statistics not included in our standard publications.

Previous releases: quarterly benefits summary data tables

Sanctions statistics used to be published as part of the quarterly benefits summary. The following summary data tables provide more detailed information on the statistics that were included in each of the quarterly benefits publications.

Updates to this page

Published 10 September 2013
Last updated 12 November 2024 + show all updates

  1. Added the latest release, 'Benefit Sanctions statistics to August 2024'.

  2. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, this release has data to May 2024.

  3. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, this release has data to February 2024.

  4. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, this release has data to November 2023.

  5. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, this release has data to August 2023.

  6. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, this release has data to May 2023.

  7. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, this release has data to February 2023.

  8. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, this release has data to October 2022.

  9. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, with data to July 2022.

  10. Added a note to the page about the freezing of legacy benefit sanction statistics.

  11. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, with data to April 2022.

  12. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, with data to January 2022.

  13. Updated the note on the page about the suspension of Universal Credit full service (UCFS) decisions data.

  14. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, with data to October 2021.

  15. Added a note about the information in the upcoming quarterly release of sanctions statistics, which are due to be published on Tuesday 15 February 2022.

  16. Added a link to the latest release of benefit sanction statistics, with data to July 2021 (experimental). Updates also made to the ‘sanctions durations and rate’ methodology document.

  17. Added a link to the latest benefit sanction statistics, with data to April 2021. Also added information to the page about planned changes to the statistics and the availability of Jobcentre Plus geographical breakdowns data.

  18. Updated the note on the page about UC full service repeat sanctions. The data tables referred to in the note (for May 2020, August 2020, November 2020 and February 2021) have now been amended.

  19. Added a link to the latest benefit sanction statistics, with data to January 2021 (experimental). Updates also made to the ‘sanctions durations and rate’ methodology document.

  20. Added a link to the latest benefit sanctions statistics, with data to October 2020 (experimental).

  21. Added a note about improvement work on the UC full service sanctions rate methodology. The next release of benefit sanctions statistics will be published on 23 February 2020.

  22. Updated the note about the suspension of Universal Credit sanction durations and median statistics.

  23. Updated the note about the suspension of Universal Credit sanction durations and median statistics. We had originally hoped to publish revised data in December 2020 but due to the complexities of the data this has not been possible.

  24. Added a link to the latest benefit sanctions statistics, with data to July 2020 (experimental). Updated the note about the statistics covering the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Added notes about Universal Credit (UC) rate methodology, suspension of UC sanction durations and median statistics, and the freezing of UC live service statistics.

  25. Notes added to the page about the suspension of Universal Credit (UC) sanction durations and median statistics, and the UC rate methodology and suspension of UC live service element of the rate.

  26. Added a link to the latest benefit sanctions statistics, with data to April 2020.

  27. Updated the note about the withdrawal of UC full service adverse sanction decisions from the July and October 2019 releases of benefit sanctions statistics. Updated statistics on adverse sanction decisions are now available in the June 2020 release, where the statistics have been calculated using an improved methodology.

  28. Added a link to the latest benefit sanctions statistics, with data to January 2020 (experimental).

  29. Added a note that the next release of benefit sanctions statistics will be published on 11 June 2020. Also added a note about an improved methodology and undercount of Universal Credit full service adverse decisions.

  30. Added a note that the next release of benefit sanctions statistics (scheduled for 19 May 2020) has been delayed.

  31. Added a link to the latest benefit sanctions statistics, with data to October 2019. Also updated the ‘Universal Credit sanctions statistics: background information and methodology’ document.

  32. Note added about the withdrawal of Universal Credit full service measure.

  33. Added note about JSA and ESA repeat sanctions statistics to January 2019, April 2019 and July 2019.

  34. Added a link to the latest benefit sanctions statistics, with data to July 2019.

  35. Added a link to the latest benefit sanctions statistics, with data to April 2019. Updated the ‘Universal Credit sanctions statistics: background information and methodology’ document. Updated the ‘Sanctions durations and rate: background information and methodology’ document.

  36. Added note about a correction to the ‘Benefit sanctions statistics to January 2019’ published on 14 May 2019.

  37. Added a link to the latest benefit sanctions statistics, with data to January 2019. These include new Universal Credit (UC) full service data. Minor updates to all methodology documents, and added information about the inclusion of UC full service data to the ‘Universal Credit sanctions statistics: background information and methodology’ document. Corrections applied to data in tables 3.4 and 4.3 of the data tables published in February 2019 (data to October 2018).

  38. Added a link to the latest benefit sanctions statistics, with data to October 2018.

  39. Added latest benefit sanctions statistics, this has data to July 2018.

  40. Added latest benefit sanctions statistics, this has data to April 2018.

  41. Corrected the email address that should be used to send comments and questions about changes to DWP statistical geographies. The correct address is stats-consultation@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.

  42. Added latest benefit sanctions statistics, this has data to January 2018.

  43. Added information that the publication of benefit sanctions statistics will move from Wednesdays to Tuesdays. This means the next release will be published on Tuesday 15 May 2018, as will the supporting data tables and the Stat-Xplore sanctions data.

  44. Added a note about a discrepancy with the medical condition and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes in some DWP statistical publications.

  45. Added latest benefit sanctions statistics, this has data to October 2017.

  46. Added information about changes to DWP statistical geographies for National and Official statistics releases.

  47. Added 'Benefit sanctions statistics 2017', this has data to June 2017.

  48. Added 'DWP benefits statistical summaries 2017' and 'Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit sanctions: decisions made to March 2017'.

  49. Added the latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics (data to December 2016). Added information about Income Support and Universal Credit sanctions statistics. Also added links to the following publications: 'Universal Credit sanctions statistics: background information and methodology' and 'Income Support lone parent regime statistics'.

  50. Added latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics (data to September 2016).

  51. Added the latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics (data to June 2016) and a benefit sanctions statistics background information and methodology note.

  52. Added latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics to March 2016.

  53. Published latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics to December 2015 and 'Monthly rate of claimants sanctioned: background information and methodology'.

  54. Published latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics to September 2015.

  55. Published latest JSA and ESA sanctions statistics to June 2015.

  56. Added statistics for decisions made to March 2015.

  57. Added statistics for decisions made to December 2014.

  58. Added statistics for decisions made to Sept 2014.

  59. Published statistics for decisions made to June 2014.

  60. Updated to include historical statistics on ESA sanctions.

  61. Published latest release with statistics to March 2014.

  62. Added note regarding amendments to Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance sanctions: decisions made to December 2013.

  63. Published latest release with statistics to December 2013.

  64. Note added to page regarding issue with the June 2013 statistical release.

  65. Added a note to the page providing further information about a data issue within the JSA sanction decision data, specifically to do with outcomes from appeals.

  66. Latest release added with statistics to September 2013

  67. Update on next release on 19 Febuary through Stat-Xplore with a limited number of excel spreadsheets being published through this page.

  68. Latest sanction statistics added for Jobseeker's Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance along with details of changes to the sanction regime.

  69. Pre-statistical release announcement added.

  70. First published.

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