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Benefit Cap -impact assessment?
Hi
Have any of you hard working thoughtful people done any work on the expected impact of the ‘benefit cap’ from April 2013 on social housing tenants?
Would anyone like to share any information they have with regards to hosuehold make-up and the amounts left for Housing Benefit?
I have some basic figures e.g. a couple with five children on JSA will only have £46.99 left for HB out of the £500 cap.
Any offers greatly received
Thanks
Alan
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I did a case study on last year’s figures for a family with 3 or 5 children (alternate scenarios) living in my house (a small 4-bed house with council tax at the rate for 3-bed houses locally.
That showed that :
Gross earnings £35,000 (=£26,000 net):
with 3 children and LHA capped to 3 bed rate, they would have got total benefits of £131 a week (rising to £332 for 5 children, LHA at 4 bed rate):
out of work, benefit income only:
with 3 children as before, income £526 (bringing amount for rent down just below LHA for 2 bed house after £500 cap applied: - 3 bed houses are plentiful and cheap locally, 2-bed scarce and in huge demand so only about £20 a week cheaper) (rising to £711 for 5 children, which if capped leaves only £33 a week for rent);
One earner 40 hours on National Minimum wage:
with three children, total benefit income £413, with 5 children £613.
I haven’t got round to updating it yet with new rates.