What’s new?


• New lower benefit caps were phased in between November 2016 and January 2017


• These have reduced the total amount of benefits households with children can receive from £500 a week to £442 a week in London and £385 a week outside the capital 


• For single adults without children living with them, the caps are reduced from £350 a week to £296.35 a week in London and £257.69 a week outside the capital


• The Chartered Institute of Housing warned that the new cap would hit more than 16,000 families across Britain reducing their income by up to £115 a week and affecting more than 300,000 children


• Changes to the operation of the welfare cap were set out in an autumn update to the Charter for Budget Responsibility published in January 2017