Shelter: Over 68,000 households currently hit by benefit cap, latest government statistics show

New government figures on the benefit cap released today show:

• 68,079 households are currently hit by the government’s benefit cap – that’s three times higher than the same time last year
• 16,960 lone parent families with a child aged under two are affected

• Almost half of households (33,025) lose more than £2600 a year 

Anne Baxendale, director of communications, policy and campaigns at Shelter, said: “Every day at Shelter we speak to families who tell us the benefit cap is pushing them to the brink of homelessness. 

“Many desperately want to work but simply can't make up the required hours each week due to childcare issues or insecure work like zero hours contracts. 

“The high court recently ruled that the cap discriminates against lone parents with children under two, and we’re disappointed to see the government appealing against a judgement that found these cuts unlawful. Instead, the government must scrap the cap immediately, before it pushes even more families towards losing the roof over their heads.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

• The number of households affected by the cap in Great Britain as at May 2017 are published by the Department for Work and Pensions. They are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/benefit-cap-statistics
• The benefit cap limits the total amount of benefits that most out-of-work households can receive to £23,000 a year in London and £20,000 a year outside of London. The benefit cap was lowered from £26,000 a year to its current levels from November 2016.
• As of May 2017, 68,079 households in Great Britain have their benefits capped. This is 238% higher than May 2016 (20,124). 16,960 capped households in Great Britain are lone parent families with a child aged under two. This is a quarter of all capped households.
• 33,025 (49% of capped households) lose more than £50 a week as a result of the cap.