The DWP is continuing to hit universal credit (UC) claimants with a harsh sanctions regime, the latest official figures show. The vast majority of sanctions are for failing to attend or to take part in a mandatory interview.
The sanctions rate has remained above 7% from August through to November of 2023, the most recent months for which figures are available.
Sanctions were at their highest in January 2017, at 11.83%.
But from there on they fell almost uninterruptedly through to March 2020, when they had reached a low of 2.51%.
Face-to-face interviews were then suspended due to the pandemic and sanctions fell to almost nothing.
However, with the gradual reintroduction of face-to-face appointments in April 2021the level of sanctions has increased rapidly. By October 2021 it had already surpassed the pre-pandemic level, reaching 2.69%.
Since April 2022, it has never fallen below 6% and has risen as high as 7.3%.
UC Sanctions rate graph
95% of all sanctions are imposed for failing to attend or to take part in a mandatory interview.
Benefits and Work members can download a copy of our 30 page guide to Ways to prevent and overturn ESA and UC sanctions from the ESA and UC guides page.
