Benefit Cap: Dozens Were Receiving Equivalent of £70,000 Salary

More than 18,000 households have had benefits capped, including 300 claimants who were receiving more than £40,000 a year, the first official figures to be released since the introduction of tougher rules show. Dozens of families were receiving benefit payments equivalent to a salary of almost £70,000 a year until the implementation of the Coalition’s welfare cap. According to the DWP, 18,024 households have had their benefits cut since the policy was implemented in April. Ministers described the move as a success, claiming that it had already encouraged almost 36,000 people to seek extra help in finding work. The figures also show that 98 per cent of the households affected have at least one child.  Read more on the Daily Telegraph website.