THE Chancellor will deliver his budget today and is expected to announce a tougher stance on benefit sanctions.

People across the UK are awaiting his plan to help with the cost of living and rocketing bills.

Jeremy Hunt said he will “tackle labour shortages” and is expected to make changes to get more people into work who are on benefits.

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He is to introduce more sanctions enforcement for Universal Credit to get people into jobs or to "encourage" them to increase their hours.

It is his first budget since becoming Chancellor.

Hunt is due to bring the bills of families on prepayment meters in line with the average direct debit energy bill under the Energy Price Guarantee.

The £400 energy bill support given to every home will end but he is expected to announce targeted support.

Hunt said his budget is one for “growth” in the long term that can pay for public services like the NHS.

He is expected to say: “In the autumn we took difficult decisions to deliver stability and sound money.

“Today, we deliver the next part of our plan, a budget for growth.

“Not just growth from emerging out of a downturn.

“But long term, sustainable, healthy growth that pays for our NHS and schools, finds good jobs for young people, provides a safety net for older people.”

The changes are also expected to encourage benefit claimants to move into work or increase their hours with increased sanctions enforcement and Work Coach support, and childcare costs on Universal Credit to be paid upfront.

Meanwhile, John Swinney, Deputy First Minister, has written to the Chancellor calling for targeted support to help more families out of poverty by reinstating the uplift to Universal Credit, increasing it to £25 per week and extending it to means-tested legacy benefits.

Swinney said vulnerable households should not have to “bear the burden of soaring energy prices” and called for windfall tax revenues to fund support.