Douglas Carswell's Blog

Withdraw benefits from rioters? I doubt Human Right rules allow it

Those involved in the riots could lose their benefits, say the headlines.  Some councils are considering it, and a minister has used some carefully crafted words to imply support.

The idea of withdrawing benefits might make the rest of us feel better, but I do not imagine for a second that any of this will actually happen - any more than I expect any but a tiny handful of those responsible for the looting and violence will be effectively punished by our monumentally useless public prosecutors (see the conviction rates following previous riots).  

In order for statutory agencies to make the kind of value judgements about the recipients of benefits they would need to make to deliver on any of this, they would run the gauntlet of the Human Rights lobby.  I very much doubt Human Rights rules would allow us to decline to support a welfare claimant on the basis they had been involved in a riot.  

The fact that the minister talks about "social landlords" - in other words not statutory ones - could give a clue about the kind of legal advice he has been given on this.   

The government is, as we know, not prepared to see radical changes to Human Rights rules.  Until that time, I suspect all this talk of withholding benefits blah blah is just spin to try to make you feel a little less angry.

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