Benefit cap leaving some families with as little as £3-per-week, campaigners say

Families are being left with as little as £3-per-week in the worst cases due to the impact of the Tory-era benefit cap, a new analysis shows.

Child Poverty Action Group says the policy - one of the "harshest hangovers" of the austerity era - is leaving some single parents with next to nothing after rent.

Its analysis shows some lone parents with three children in inner London are left with just £3-per-week after paying private rents.

It stands at £82 in Guilford, £89 In Brighton and £170 in Northampton.

The group says as a result families are forced to rely on emergency support and food banks to survive, with many falling into arrears with rent.

CPAG is calling for the government to scrap the cap, which was introduced in 2013 and sets a maximum amount of benefit a household of working age can receive.

It currently stands at £486 per week for couples and single parents in London and £423 outside the capital.

It is separate to the two-child benefit limit, which Keir Starmer could scrap as part of a child poverty strategy to be published soon.

The policy introduced by austerity Chancellor George Osborne restricts Child Tax Credits and Universal Credit to the first two children in a family.

On Sunday, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who is running to be Labour's deputy leader, again signalled the cruel policy will be lifted.

Asked if she would consider resigning if the government failed to lift the two-child benefit limit, she told BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: "I am confident that we as a government will do the right thing by children growing up in poverty in our country

"We've already started that process, there's more to do, I will make that happen."

Chief executive of CPAG, Alison Garnham, said: “The benefit cap is one of the harshest hangovers from austerity, punishing families for their unavoidable costs and leaving them with next to nothing to live on.

"The government’s forthcoming child poverty strategy must remove the policy – along with its evil twin the two-child limit - or thousands more children will be stranded in deep poverty.”

A Government spokesman said:“Every child, no matter their background, deserves the best start in life. That’s why our Child Poverty Taskforce will publish an ambitious strategy to tackle the structural and root causes of child poverty.

“We’re also investing £500million in children’s development through the rollout of Best Start Family Hubs, extending free school meals and ensuring the poorest don’t go hungry in the holidays through a new £1billion crisis support package.”

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