The number of people being hit by benefits sanctions has more than doubled in the North East since before the pandemic.
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) statistics show that 4,513 people on Universal Credit (UC) across the region were carrying a sanction in February. That was 4.5% of claimants - more than double the 1,802 people (2.2%) under a section in the same month of 2020, before lockdown.
Benefits claimants can face the punishments for infractions such as not attending a work-related interview, failing to start a new role, or refusing a job offer. But some campaigners say sanctions are often wrongly applied, leaving struggling people 'unfairly' out of pocket.
