This blog by Dr Hayley Bennett, What Works Scotland, explores the sanctions data available through the Department of Work and Pensions and how it can be used at a local level.

Author: Hayley Bennett, What Works Scotland, and Gary Smith and Coryn Barclay, Fife Council

Date: 26 January 2016

As part of the collaborative action research work taking place with Fife Community Planning Partnership, a small sub-group looked at the data. How can better information and data sharing improve services and support arrangements for people in Kirkcaldy affected by changes to the social security system?

Reforms have introduced conditionality and sanctions to social security payments, removing access to payments if people break the rules. Understanding the sanctions process and translating the available data can be tricky, as decisions can be clerical errors, overturned, or individuals cease their relationship with Jobcentre Plus when sanctions start.

The system appears, however, to offer a variety of ways to interpret, analyse and compare data, all of which can be useful.

Read the post on the What Works Scotland blog