Why sanctioning sick and disabled benefit claimants during a pandemic, recession, and banking crisis can be considered immoral

Sanctioning sick and disabled benefit claimants during a pandemic, recession, and banking crisis can be considered immoral for several reasons. Firstly, benefit sanctions are punishment fines whereby claimants’ benefits are docked for at least a month for supposed infringements¹. This can have a negative effect on claimants’ health and finances¹. In fact, DWP staff have admitted to inflicting psychological harm on claimants². Secondly, there is no evidence that benefit sanctions incentivize people to get work¹. A report by the National Audit Office in 2016 found that there was no evidence that sanctions work or that the system is saving the taxpayer money⁵. Thirdly, during a pandemic, recession, and banking crisis, people are already facing financial difficulties. Sanctioning their benefits would only add to their hardship. In conclusion, sanctioning sick and disabled benefit claimants during a pandemic, recession, and banking crisis can be considered immoral because it can harm their health and finances without any evidence of effectiveness. Source: Conversation with Bing, 4/14/2023 (1) DWP ordered to release ‘sensitive’ research into effects of benefit .... https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/mar/14/dwp-ordered-to-release-sensitive-research-into-effects-of-benefit-sanctions. (2) DWP staff admit inflicting ‘psychological harm’ on claimants during .... https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-staff-admit-inflicting-psychological-harm-on-claimants-during-coalition-years/. (3) Benefit sanctions are punishing disabled people for the sake of it. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/20/sanctions-disabled-people-claimants-tough-love. (4) Disabled people denied benefit uplift during pandemic because it would .... https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/disability-benefit-uplift-universal-credit-dwp-it-system-b1724260.html. (5) Opinion | Disabled Americans Are Losing a Lifeline - New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/14/opinion/supplemental-security-income-ssa-disability.html.