Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

LEVELLING UP

EASE THE SQUEEZE: PM urged to SCRAP benefit cap to ease child poverty

CHILD poverty campaigners have called on the new Prime Minister Liz Truss to scrap what they describe as a “truly catastrophic” cap on benefits amid the cost of living crisis.

Households whose benefits are capped will be left on average £65 a week worse off from April than they would be without a cap in place, according to analysis for the Child Action Poverty Group (CPAG).

Around 120,000 households whose benefits are already capped, containing around 300,000 children, will not see any rise when benefits are increased next April in line with the current inflation rate, it said.

And it said 35,000 due to be newly capped in April will only see some of the increase before the cap kicks in.

The cap on benefits was introduced in 2013 and was intended to be an incentive to get households into work.

The benefit cap is cruel and irrational at the best of times – many parents subject to it can’t escape it by working more because they are caring for very young children and housing costs are completely out of their control

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Alison Garnham from the Child Action Poverty Group said: “The benefit cap is cruel and irrational at the best of times – many parents subject to it can’t escape it by working more because they are caring for very young children and housing costs are completely out of their control.”

This is the same level as 2016 – and therefore has not increased to reflect the rising cost of living.

As a result, the number of capped households has risen over time, and CPAG said people have experienced a “growing gulf” between their income and rising costs.

It said removing the cap would mean an additional £65 a week, on average, for affected households, which it said would be “invaluable” in the current economic climate.

It would cost £500 million to remove the cap – just 0.2% of total spending on social security, it added.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Over the summer, then work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey hinted that the cap may be reviewed before next April.

“But in the current crisis, its effects will be truly catastrophic for hundreds of thousands of children, pushing many into deep poverty.

“It is early days for the new Government and scrapping the cap would send a clear signal to families that the PM is on their side – there can be no doubt that leaving it in place will damage the lives of children up and down the country.”

The Department for Work and Pensions said the cap provides a strong work incentive and balances fairness for taxpayers with providing support.

Any revision of the cap would come alongside decisions to uprate benefits, with any change taking place the following April.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

The department referred to the Government’s £37 billion support package to help the public through the cost-of-living crisis, and the new cap on average energy bills announced by Prime Minister Liz Truss upon taking office.

DON’T MISS…

Comment

TOMMY Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) was arrested by the Metropolitan and City Police on Sunday, and was later released where he will be...

Latest

ELIZA Rose and Calvin Harris have released the music video for their fresh hot collaboration ‘Body Moving’. The chart-topping ‘B.O.T.A. (Baddest of Them All)’...

Entertainment

JOE Lycett’s launch of his new podcast at Liverpool’s Albert Dock ended in disaster on Thursday after strong winds caused a giant inflatable toilet...

Ireland

LEO Varadkar, the Irish Prime Minister has been caught cheating on his husband with a young male in a Dublin nightclub, despite being married...

Entertainment

DAVID Tennant has teased fans of ‘Doctor Who’ by saying his upcoming return is “unlike any episode ever.”, Politicalite can reveal.  The 52-year-old actor...

Big Brother

BIG Brother winner Jordan Sangha has revealed that his lover Henry Southan has already stayed over at his house, Politicalite can reveal.  The 26-year-old...

Entertainment

THE NEWSIES strike of 1899, a pivotal moment in American labor history, was a protest led by young newspaper hawkers against unfair working conditions...

Entertainment

I’M A CELEBRITY star Josie Gibson once posted a video of Tommy Robinson’s speech to the Oxford Union – where she praised the controversial...

MUSIC

JACK Harlow has a “secret” celebrity crush. The ‘Lovin On Me’ hitmaker, 25, previously revealed he fancies pop star Dua Lipa, 28, and now...

London

TOMMY Robinson was arrested Sunday ahead of a major march against antisemitism in London, where he was attending in the capacity as a journalist...

GAMING

DESPITE the relatively isolated geographical position of New Zealand, its population is eager to join the global phenomenon of online gambling. The synergy of...

Royal Family

PIERS Morgan has reportedly left the royal family considering legal action against Omid Scobie by naming the two senior royals, King Charles and Princess...

GAMING

IN THE digital era, the UK has seen a vibrant expansion in online leisure. As we tap into the virtual world, the breadth of...

Comment

TOMMY Robinson’s, (real name Stephen Yaxley Lennon) return to X (formally known as Twitter), has set social media alight, he has been trending every...

Royals

OMID Scobie has declared he isn’t ‘friends’ with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and insisted he wasn’t briefed by the royal or her husband Prince...

GAMING

Online casinos have become a popular activity for many people. It’s not simply a luxury habit for high rollers; anyone can sign up and...

Entertainment

WILL Mellor wants to find a new home for ‘Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps’ after the out of touch BBC...

Celebs

PETE Doherty listens to his late friend Amy Winehouse’s music “most days”. The Libertines singer – who has had his own well-documented struggle with...

MUSIC

POGUES frontman Shane MacGowan – who is best known for his Christmas smash-hit classic ‘Fairytale of New York’ – has passed away at the...

Latest

OMID Scobie is being branded a “liar” for insisting he had nothing to do with identifying two senior members of the royal family in...

Advertisement