The poorest people in Dundee and Angus are being subjected to “state-sponsored bullying” by the Department for Work and Pensions, it has been claimed.
Director of Angus Housing Association, Bruce Forbes, accused the department of imposing “ludicrous” sanctions on his tenants.
This includes a woman who had benefits suspended for applying for only 12 jobs in a week rather than 14 and a claimant who had funds cut off for being six minutes late for a meeting.
The attack comes after the DWP published figures this week showing more people from Dundee have had their Job Seeker’s Allowance suspended over the past year than anywhere else in Scotland.
Mr Forbes said it should come as no surprise 2,420 people from the city had been affected since October 2012 and questioned whether staff had targets relating to sanctions.
“I am sure the DWP will be able to point to genuine reasons why this has been done in some cases but, equally, I know our staff are constantly having to deal with the consequences of these sanctions, the reasons for which can only be categorised as state-sponsored bullying,” Mr Forbes said.
“The most worrying aspect of this situation is the people we work with, many of whom are vulnerable as well as poor, are genuinely frightened to be identified with these complaints because they fear further reprisals against them.”
A DWP spokeswoman said: “It’s only right people should do everything they can to find work in return for their benefits.
“We make it clear to people at the start of their claim what the rules are and they risk losing their benefits if they don’t play by them.
“Sanctions are only used as a last resort and people who are in genuine need can apply for hardship payments.
“If someone disagrees with a decision made on their claim they can appeal.”