Over 36,400 households hit by benefit cap

Over 36,400 households have been caught by the coalition government's benefits cap since April 2013, 96 per cent of them households with children, according to new official statistics.

The benefit cap limits the amount of benefits a household can receive to £500 a week for couples (with or without children) and lone-parent households, and to £350 a week for a single adult with no children.

Key points

• At the end of last year, more than 28,400 households were subject to the benefit cap, and over 36,400 households in total have been capped since April 2013.
• 10,426 couples with children have been capped, along with 16,755 single parents: this means that 96 per cent of the households capped so far have children.
• 12 per cent of households that are no longer capped are claiming less housing benefit, and a further 12 per cent have stopped claiming housing benefit altogether.
• 7 per cent of households that were previously capped have become entitled to a disability or sickness benefit.
• Over 300 households have been capped by at least £300 a week.

The coalition government highlights the fact that over 8,000 households who have had their benefits capped have since either found jobs, reduced their benefit claim, or had another change of circumstance – with 40 per cent of these finding work.

Source: Benefit Cap – Households Capped and off Flows, Data to December 2013, GB, Department for Work and Pensions
Links: Report | DWP press release | TUC blog post | BBC report | Inside Housing report | Telegraph report