A WOMAN has been left with no money for almost a year after being sanctioned by the DWP.

Margo Laird, from Tollcross, was sanctioned for not attending at Jobcentre interviews, despite sending in sick lines from her doctor.

She is currently still under a 132 day sanction despite now turning up to the appointments.

Ms Laird though she didn’t need to attend because her GP said she was not fit for work and posted the sick lines to the Jobcentre.

She has received no payments of her Universal Credit benefit since January and has been totally dependent of support from her family.

She also has a court case on going for rent arrears due to being switched to Universal Credit and enduring a 12 week delay for payments, meaning her rent was not paid.

She owes Tollcross housing Association £900 as a result because while her housing benefit has been re-instated the DWP will not clear the arrears.

Ms Lair said: “I had been sending in sick lines for more than a year.

I’ve now been going for the last six months but I still don’t have any money coming in.

“My son and sister are helping me with money for the meter and bringing me messages.

“I didn’t even know I had rent arrears because I thought it was being paid.”

She said despite knowing she has been sanctioned and left with no money no-one at the DWP has asked her how she is able to survive.

Ms Laird’s case was raised at the House of Commons by her MP David Linden.

He asked Damian Hinds the work and Pensions minister if he would look into her case and find a solution.

Mr Linden said: “What has happened is Margo Laird has been pushed as close to destitution as she can by the UK government.

“Universal Credit is causing untold misery to people.

“Margo is vulnerable and has been helped by her family but they no longer able to continue providing that support in the way they have been. She is at crisis point.

“There are hundreds of thousands of Margos out there. I have raised her case with the government and will do so with others “

Mr Hinds said he was unable to comment on the specific case but said he would look into it if Mr Linden supplied more details.

The DWP said there can be delays between processing the housing element of universal credit and it being received.

It said a payment relating to rent arrears has been made and it is discussing the case with the landlord

A spokeswoman for the DWP said: “Only a small minority of Universal Credit claimants are sanctioned, and that only happens if someone doesn’t have a good reason for falling short of their claimant commitment.

“Work coaches support claimants to meet their requirements, and people are given every opportunity to explain why they have failed to do so before a decision is made.”