60% of households hit by benefit caps are families with children
- 13 May
Figure show that over 40,000 households have had their benefits capped since they were introduced by the government last year.
Statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions show that 60% of affected households had between one and four children, with 36% have five or more.
Figures from the DWP show, that since the introduction of the benefit cap on 15th April 2013 to March 2014:
• Overall 42,200 households have had their housing benefit capped; the figure for March 2014 stood at 27,700
• 46% of households affected by benefit cap were found in London
• Of the top 20 local authorities with the highest number of households affected by the benefit cap, only one was outside London - Birmingham.
• 60% of households had between 1 and 4 children and 36% had 5 or more children.
• 59% of households constituted a single parent with child dependants.
• 80% of households were capped by £100 or less.
• Just over 14,500 households (34%) who have (previously) been capped are no longer subject to the cap as at March 2014. Of these, 5,700 thousand are exempt with an open working tax credit claim which is 39% of those no longer subject to the cap.
• 16,600 households have had a spell off the cap between April 2013 and March 2014. This includes cases not capped as at March 2014 and cases who have been capped, left the cap and then been capped again. Of these, 35% have had a recorded working tax credit claim in that period.
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Source:24dash
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