An Evaluation of the Sanction of Housing Benefit

This report presents the findings from an evaluation of the sanction of Housing Benefit commissioned by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The sanctions were piloted in eight local authority areas in England from 1 November 2007 to 31 October 2009. The sanction of Housing Benefit was introduced in the Welfare Reform Act 2007 and could be applied in circumstances where individuals or households had been subject to an order of possession on the grounds of anti-social behaviour and had subsequently refused to engage with an appropriate package of support. No sanctions were used during the pilot period. The report provides details of the background to and the aims of the sanction and the local contexts of the pilot areas and identifies why the sanction was not used and the views of stakeholders about the potential use of a sanction. Download a copy of the report from the DWP website.