The Impacts of Benefit Sanctions: A Scoping Review of the Quantitative Research Evidence

Abstract

In recent decades, the use of conditionality backed by benefit sanctions for those claiming unemployment and related benefits has become widespread in the social security systems of high-income countries. Critics argue that sanctions may be ineffective in bringing people back to employment or indeed harmful in a range of ways. Existing reviews largely assess the labour market impacts of sanctions but our understanding of the wider impacts is more limited. We report results from a scoping review of the international quantitative research evidence on both labour market and wider impacts of benefit sanctions. Following systematic search and screening, we extract data for 94 studies reporting on 253 outcome measures. We provide a narrative summary, paying attention to the ability of the studies to support causal inference. Despite variation in the evidence base and study designs, we found that labour market studies, covering two thirds of our sample, consistently reported positive impacts for employment but negative impacts for job quality and stability in the longer term, along with increased transitions to non-employment or economic inactivity. Although largely relying on non-experimental designs, wider-outcome studies reported significant associations with increased material hardship and health problems. There was also some evidence that sanctions were associated with increased child maltreatment and poorer child well-being. Lastly, the review highlights the generally poor quality of the evidence base in this area, with few studies employing research methods designed to identify the causal impact of sanctions, especially in relation to wider impacts.

Etuussanktioiden vaikutukset toimeentuloon, hyvinvointiin ja palveluihin osallistumiseen

“…Lisäksi rajautuessaan kvantitatiivisiin tutkimuksiin esimerkiksi Pattaro ym. (31) jättävät huomiotta "hyvinvoinnin ehdollistamisen politiikan" eri seurauksia ihmisten elämälle (ks. 34).…”

“…Lisäksi toimeenpantujen sanktioiden on havaittu heijastuvan etuudenhakijoiden perheisiin. Sanktioita seuraavat toimeentulovaikeudet lisäävät lasten kaltoinkohtelun riskiä ja käyttäytymisongelmia sekä häiritsevät lasten kognitiivista kehitystä (31,41).…”

“…Tiukka velvoittavuus sanktioineen alentaa useissa tutkimuksissa motivaatiota osallistua työvoimapalveluihin ja niihin liittyviin viranomaistapaamisiin (41,42,54,61,62). Välittävänä mekanismina voi olla sanktioista aiheutuva psykososiaalinen kuormitus, joka pahimmillaan johtaa syrjäytymiseen palvelujärjestelmästä (14,31).…”

A basic income for every crisis? Building blocks of a political economy framework

“…There are many possible justifications for basic income as a response to health problems or crises. The removal of sanctions from benefits is likely to have positive impacts on health and well-being for recipients and their children (Pattaro et al, 2022), and the provision of economic security is likewise also beneficial for the mental health of workers (Kopasker et al, 2018). A basic income could also be pitched as a solution to an ageing population and the accompanying crisis of social care by providing flexible support to those who wish to provide care alongside other commitments and work.…”

Welfare Reform and Housing Insecurity: The Impact of Universal Credit Rollout on Demand for Rent Arrears and Homelessness Advice from Citizens Advice in England

“…The rationale for this is to 'encourage people to increase their earnings and hours' (DWP, 2010: 31). However, existing research provides limited evidence that sanctions are effective, and they are associated with a range of negative outcomes (Pattaro et al, 2022).…”