More than 400,000 people have lost Jobseeker's Allowance under new government sanctions aimed at ensuring they actively seek work.{jcomments on}
The BBC has reported on the latest figures published by the DWP.
Some 580,000 sanctions were handed down between October 2012 and June 2013, a 6% rise on the same period a year earlier, before rules were toughened.
In the most extreme cases, individuals can lose the benefit for three years if, for example, they leave three jobs voluntarily.
The latest figures showed that 53% of decisions to withdraw benefit were the result of the lowest level sanction, while 38% were intermediate sanctions and 9% the highest level sanction.
About a third of cases related to people failing to actively seek work, with slightly fewer related to people who failed to participate in the government's Work Programme - a flagship government scheme of work experience for jobseekers - or failing to attend training.
About one in five cases were the result of somebody failing to attend an interview with an adviser.
Here at Benefits and Work, we are concerned that those who are going through the Mandatory Reconsideration process may fall foul of this new sanction regime if they fail to attend interviews or training because of their health condition.
Read more on this on the BBC website
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