The number of people in Scotland having their benefits sanctioned has doubled compared to before the pandemic.
Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures show 5,876 people on Universal Credit (UC) across the nation were carrying a sanction in February. That was 3.7 percent of claimants, and up from at least 2,855 (2.4 percent) in the same month of 2020, pre-pandemic.
READ MORE - Motatos UK: We compared new supermarket's prices against our usual weekly shop
In Scotland, Edinburgh was the 8th top council area to see an increase in UC sanctions - where the number almost trebled from 172 to 497. This was 4.2 percent of those who could have them applied.
The sharpest increase in UC sanctions was in Perth and Kinross, where the number more than quadrupled from 42 to 171, or 5.6 percent of those who could have them applied – also the highest proportion across the country.
Reasons for someone having their benefits reduced include not attending a work-related interview, failing to start a new role, or refusing a job offer. The length and severity of the punishment depends on the reason for it being imposed and whether someone has been penalised before.
The cuts were largely halted in the early stages of the pandemic as job centres shut their doors and the UK Government focused on dealing with soaring demand from new claimants. However, the number of people across Britain seeing their UC claim reduced started rising again last summer and has now hit record levels.
Caroline Selman, benefit sanctions researcher at the Public Law Project, said the penalties could be “disastrous” for people’s mental health. She added: “Second, even though only a small proportion of sanctions are challenged, according to the latest available figures there is a high success rate when they are.
“This suggests many wrongly made UC sanctions go uncorrected. This leaves vulnerable people unfairly out of pocket. When someone is sanctioned they can lose up to 100% of their standard allowance, potentially indefinitely. If you are already on or below the poverty line, this can be devastating.”
Ms Selman said she was concerned the DWP was ramping up sanctions despite a lack of evidence that they support people into work, and extensive evidence of their potential harm.
A DWP spokesperson said: “We understand that people are struggling with rising prices which is why we have acted to protect the 8 million most vulnerable British families through at least £1,200 of direct payments this year. Sanction levels are proportionate to our larger pandemic caseload and people are only sanctioned if they fail, without good reason, to meet the conditions they agreed to.
“Sanctions can quickly be resolved by re-engaging with the Jobcentre and attending the next appointment.”
