Earlier this month we published a story that revealed the growing pressure on some jobcentre staff to sanction people on jobseekers allowance, cutting off their benefit if they are deemed to not be meeting their jobseekers agreement. Targets for staff to refer claimants for sanctions, it was claimed, are leading to vulnerable or "easy to exploit" people getting their benefits cut, while the "hardcore" who know the system are able to get around the rules.
The following day, Iain Duncan Smith told Sky News that the claims of targets for sanctions were "claptrap" and "conspiracy". But within a week, the DWP told us it had been aware of instructions being "misinterpreted" by certain offices, and it had taken steps to rectify this.
The initial story clearly hit a nerve: by the time comments closed last Monday, it had received more than a thousand. Many people told of their experiences of being sanctioned, often pointing out that this has been going on for years.
Several people also commented claiming to work for the DWP.
One confirmed that: "Targets on sanctions have been increased. There has been a real push to sanction as many people as possible with the justification being that it makes people uncomfortable being on benefits."
Whatever is going on, DWP figures show a 40% rise in the number of sanctions applied in the past year.
A vicar in Liverpool wrote under our article: "I and other clergy have regularly been asked to provide food by desperate people who have had their benefits sanctioned over trivial issues. The humanitarian situation is so serious that a group of churches is now setting up a food bank to meet this need."
It remains to be seen whether the DWP's statement is translated into a change in practice on the ground.
Many readers have said this is an issue the guardian should continue to pursue, and we want to do that with your help.
So if you are sanctioned yourself, have experience being sanctioned, or work with those who have had benefits cut off, tell us about it here. If you work in a Jobcentre or have done, we are also very interested to hear your perspective. If you feel more comfortable contacting us directly, please email me at john.domokos@guardian.co.uk
