More Than 23,000 Households' Benefit Capped

The number of households subject to the benefit cap has increased to more than 23,000 for the first time since February, the latest government statistics reveal. At August, 23,397 households were capped, up from 22,866 in July and the highest figure since January. Overall, 66,900 households have been capped since the policy, which limits overall benefit payments to £26,000 per year, was introduced in 2013. Of the 43,528 who are no longer subject to it, 18,000 have moved into work while almost 10,000 are no longer claiming housing benefit, or have reduced their housing benefit claim. Download the data from the DWP website.

60% of Households Hit By Benefit Cap Are Families with Children

More than 40,000 households have had their benefits capped by the government since it was introduced last year, according to new figures. Statistics from the DWP also showed that 60% of affected households had between one and four children while 36% had five or more. Enfield has the highest number of capped households across the country and 19 of the top 20 local authority areas affected by the cap are to be found in London.  Read more on the GovUK website.

DWP Reveals Nearly 500,000 Households Affected By Bedroom Tax

The DWP has released statistics breaking down the number of households affected by the bedroom tax and the average amount deducted from housing benefit. The statistical bulletin shows the number of households which have had the bedroom tax applied is 498,174 while the average reduction across the UK is £14.40 per week.  It has also been revealed that 3,610 people had started claiming universal credit by November 2013. This was up by around 700 claims from October. Download a copy of the statistics from the DWP website.

Housing Benefit: Social Rented Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his oral answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, column 577, what the evidential basis was for his estimate of between 3,000 and 5,000 people that may have been affected by the under-occupancy penalty since April 2013.  

Esther McVey: On the information currently available, we estimate the numbers affected are likely to be fewer than 5,000 nationally. This is based on the assumption that if a claimant's current claim started before 1 January 1996 they would have been entitled to the transitional protection and therefore affected.

Bedroom Tax Affected More Than 522,000 People, First Figures Show

More than 522,000 housing benefit claimants were subject to the bedroom tax in August and had their housing benefit reduced by an average of £14.50 a week, official figures show. The DWP said the figures were the first official returns on the impact of the controversial tax, or bedroom subsidy withdrawal. They show more than 429,000 people were penalised for having one bedroom too many, losing an average of £12.66 a week; more than 92,000 were penalised for having two excess bedrooms, and were losing an average of £23.43 a week. The government said there had been a steady fall in the number of households affected, with 24,000 fewer claimants affected than in May.  Read more on the Guardian website.

The Household Benefit Cap - Commons Library Standard Note

The Housing Benefit (Benefit Cap) Regulations 2012 introduced the cap on household benefits from 15 April 2013 in the London boroughs of Croydon, Enfield, Haringey and Bromley. National roll-out was managed over a 10 week period split into two tranches:

• Tranche 1 included all local authorities with 275 affected households or fewer - capping commenced in these areas on 15 July 2013;

• Tranche 2 included all local authorities with 276 or more households to be capped and commenced from the week of 12 August 2013.

The Universal Credit Regulations 2013 provide for an overall benefit cap within Universal Credit (UC). UC is being phased in between October 2013 and 2017.  The note explains how the cap operates and summarises reactions to it, including attempts to amend the cap as the Welfare Reform Act progressed through the House of Lords. Download a copy of the note from the Parliament website.