Homeless Jobseekers Hit Hard By Benefit Cuts

Homeless people looking for work are being disproportionately hit by government benefit sanctions. One in three homeless people on Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) have been penalised with a cut in their benefits, compared to just three per cent of jobseekers overall, according to research by the charity Homeless Link. Researchers looked at data from more than 50 organisations working with homeless people and found that nearly a third reported homeless people being sanctioned while grappling with poor mental health, learning difficulties or substance misuse problems. The report found that in most cases these problems got worse as a result of sanctions – pushing some to commit petty crime rather than motivating them to find employment.  Read more on the Homeless Link website.