Hastings Budget Advisory manager Kristal Leach said the service had seen clients who had benefits cut.
"We do see clients in that position...usually they didn't turn up to a work seminar.
"Most people comply with the rules because they know what happens if they don't."
The number of sanctions has remained stable in the East Coast region for several years, despite increases in other parts of the country.
Benefit sanctions rose by 8 per cent nationally from June last year to June this year.
In the June quarter, WINZ imposed nearly 16,000 sanctions on beneficiaries across the country, just over a thousand more than the same quarter of last year.
Missed appointments, failure to look for work or prepare for work are the main reasons for the cuts.
Beneficiary advocate Jeremy Roundill said WINZ set targets for its staff to impose sanctions and cancel benefits.
"I have been told both that it is a national target, that it's set at a regional level and that it's set at a service-centre level.
"MSD isn't forthcoming with information, so it's difficult to know for sure, but I'd suspect that there's a nationwide number set at the ministry level, and the regional offices are the ones who set the KPIs for case managers in each office."
Ministry of Social Development spokesman Mike Bryant said any increase was likely due to efforts to get clients into work.
"In the last quarter, there has been a slight increase in the number of benefit sanctions imposed across the country.
"Part of this increase is because our staff are spending more time having work-focused conversations with people.
"Sanctions are just one way we work with clients to engage with us - they are not designed to be punitive and there are no targets for applying sanctions."
The number of people receiving benefits in New Zealand has declined by just over 10 per cent in the past four years.
The number of beneficiaries in the East Coast region has remained largely unchanged.