Department for Work and Pensions civil servant horrifies MSPs after claiming poor people make an economic choice to visit foodbanks
People who receive benefit sanctions “welcome the jolt” it gives them, a UK civil servant has told MSPs.
Neil Couling, work services director for the Department of Work and Pensions, also told MSPs that people make “economic choices” to visit foodbanks.
The civil servant who was speaking at the Scottish Parliament’s Welfare Reform Committee denied the recent dramatic increase in people visiting foodbanks was down to benefits cuts and sanctions. Instead he claimed the growth of foodbanks was itself driving demand.
My experience is that many benefit recipients welcome the jolt that the sanctions can give to them – Neil Couling
"My view, very clearly, is that this is supply-led growth going on, and it will continue to grow over the years ahead, whatever the path of welfare policies are, because we live in a society where there are poor people and rich people, and people will maximise their economic choices,” said Couling. “That's just how economies work.”
Jamie Hepburn MSP, the committee’s deputy convenor, highlighted that charities and people working for foodbanks, have told the committee that service users report sanctions and other welfare reforms as a reason for turning to emergency food.
"People will tell you things in order to maximise their economic choices,” responded Couling. “In the same way people will tell you that 'I am looking for work', because they know the consequences, if they say 'I am not looking for work', then they get sanctioned.
"Similarly people will present to foodbanks – this may not be wilful deceit going on, this may be their belief about the situation. The foodbanks will then record that and that will be reported back as fact.
"That doesn't establish a causal link and the supply argument is much stronger."
The remarks came in for criticism from a number of committee members, with Hepburn saying Couling’s remarks were “unconvincing”.
SNP committee member Kevin Stewart said: “That is complete and utter nonsense.
“I would suggest that you go and speak to folk in food banks as I have done – the workers there, the volunteers there and those folks who are presenting themselves who are facing major difficulties in their lives.”
While anyone can suffer a crisis that sees them end up looking for a food parcel, this is an issue disproportionally affecting people out of work and who rely upon the state as a safety net - Keith Dryburgh
It was while commenting on the use of sanctions that Couling added: "My experience is that many benefit recipients welcome the jolt that the sanctions can give to them.
"Some people will no doubt react very badly to being sanctioned, and we see some very strong reactions to that, but others recognise that it is the wake-up call they needed, and it helps them get back into work."
New figures out today from Citizens Advise Scotland (CAS) revealed that between January and March this year, the issue of not having enough money to buy food was raised 1,311 times by clients. That equates to one in every 50 Citizens Advice Bureau clients,
Keith Dryburgh, policy manager at CAS, said around 90% of CAS advisers believe sanctions are linked to growing demand for food parcels.
“Sanctions to people's benefits, reassessments to disability and sickness benefit and poor administration of benefits all seem to be drivers of this problem,” he said.
“This is both policy and processes that need to be addressed. While anyone can suffer a crisis that sees them end up looking for a food parcel, this is an issue disproportionally affecting people out of work and who rely upon the state as a safety net.
"One in 12 unemployed CAB clients needed a food parcel, and of CAB clients unable to work due to a disability, one in 26 needed a food parcel.”
