PCS opposes Conditionality Week

PCS was outraged by the DWP decision to run a ‘Conditionality Week’, which was to be about ‘celebrating how far we have come since the introduction of tougher sanction levels last year’, according to the departments headline news page.  Across the country it was planned to hold events which could include quizzes, reward and recognition events and dedicated conditionality sessions.

The Group Executive Committee (GEC) discussed this when they met on 27^th September and unanimously agreed to oppose Conditionality Week. The GEC wrote to management to request that all events are cancelled. This is because the GEC believe that it is inappropriate for civil servants to celebrate controversial political welfare reform changes and it is abhorrent that claimants being left without benefit should be something anyone rejoices in. At best, this is poor taste, at worst these are cynical actions intended to pressurise staff to make sanction referrals and to normalise the impact that sanctioning has on claimants and their families.

The GEC therefore welcomes the department’s response that Conditionality Week has either been cancelled or very much scaled down. PCS is shocked that the DWP would think the concept of a celebratory Conditionality Week is

acceptable, especially given media reports of the rise in the number of families using foodbanks and in some cases claimants self-harming due to sanctioning.

We are also very concerned that even harsher changes to welfare programmes are being announced at the Conservative Party conference this week.

In line with conference policy the GEC will continue to oppose the conditionality and sanctioning regime including the pressure put on staff to make sanction referrals whether through targets, ‘expectations’ or the culture of fear in jobcentres. Arranging ‘Conditionality Week’ exposes that DWP are not serious in tackling the ‘target culture’ identified in the Couling report of 15^th May which the GEC is challenging.

Select Committee

To complement our campaign work PCS gave evidence to the Parliamentary work and pensions select committee on the role of jobcentreplus in the reformed welfare state on 11^th September. The transcript is now available online at - (http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmworpen/uc479-iii/uc47901.htm) Members are invited to provide feedback on the information presented.  

PCS made strong points about the need for more staff to deliver a more holistic public employment service, and how the focus and direction of jobcentreplus service

delivery was very much on conditionality and ‘off-flow by any means’.

PCS stated that whether it is called a target or an expectation, that the reality for people who work in jobcentres is that it has the same effect on them.

The GEC will follow up this activity through additional evidence, parliamentary questions and MPs briefings in the coming weeks

Provide PCS with your evidence

The GEC will continue to explore how the union can collectively respond and actively oppose the conditionality regime and target culture that plagues jobcentres at present. We have agreed to continue to provide evidence to the employer of the ‘perverse behaviour’ on labour market decision making and appeals (DMA) activity.

Members have started to provide evidence and we ask that you continue to do so through your local PCS representative or to operational.tus@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.

The GEC do understand that some members may be concerned about confidentiality including those in the management grades. The GEC assures members that they will be not identified to management, and can approach their representatives discreetly.

Our work on opposing the sanctioning regime forms part of the union’s overall campaigning on welfare reform. Further updates will provided to members and representatives on the next steps in this in important area of work.