Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to assist households facing financial difficulties as a result of benefit sanctions.

Sanctions are only used in a minority of cases when people fail to meet each of their requirements that they agreed in their Claimant Commitment without good reason.

We have a well-established system of hardship payments, available as a safeguard if a claimant demonstrates that they cannot meet their immediate and most essential needs, including accommodation, heating, food and hygiene, as a result of their sanction.