Social Security Benefits
Work and Pensions

Michael Dugher (Barnsley East, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many working-age households in (a) Barnsley East constituency and (b) Barnsley Metropolitan Borough were in receipt of benefits that totalled more than his proposed benefit cap under the provisions of the Welfare Reform Act 2012, excluding those households which are exempted, in the latest period for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling (Minister of State (Employment), Work and Pensions; Epsom and Ewell, Conservative)

The information is not available for Barnsley East constituency.

Based on the latest data available, it is estimated that fewer than 100 households were in receipt of benefits that totalled more than the proposed benefit cap in the Metropolitan borough of Barnsley.

The figures presented above are consistent with the recent impact assessment published on the 23 January 2012. This assumes that the situation of these households will go unchanged, and they will not take any steps to either work enough hours to qualify for working tax credit, renegotiate their rent in situ, or find alternative accommodation. In all cases the Department is working to support households through this transition, using existing provision through Jobcentre Plus and the Work programme to-move as many into work as possible.

It is important to note that these estimates were produced before the additional easements announced on the 1st February which included the exemption of households who were in receipt of the support component of employment and support allowance and a nine-month grace period for claimants who were in work for 52-weeks or more before the start of their claim. This means that these figures are subject to change.