The benefit cap: an unhappy anniversary

The benefit cap, which is now 10 years old, limits the amount of social security entitlement some of the poorest households across the UK can receive (although mitigations are in place in Scotland and Northern Ireland).

When the cap was introduced, it affected a handful of families. However, a decade of cuts mean the cap is now widespread, and children and families are being pushed into deep poverty as a result.

Families are left with very little after paying their rent. For instance, lone parents with three children are now likely to be capped across most areas of the country, and can be left with as little as £44 a week to live on after paying their housing costs.

It is illogical to acknowledge that families with higher costs in high rent areas deserve more financial support to help meet these costs, and then issue a flat rate cap limiting this entitlement.

We call on the UK government to remove the benefit cap, substantially reducing the depth of poverty for the 250,000 children currently living in households affected by the cap. In addition to abolishing the cap, the government must increase local housing allowance rates so that they reflect at least the bottom 30th percentile (ie, the cheapest 30 per cent) of local market rents.