Bishop of Durham asks Government about impact of benefit cap on larger families

On the 23rd January 2018 the Bishop of Durham, the Rt Revd Paul Butler received a written answer to a question about the impact of the benefit cap on larger families:

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many families with three or more children have been affected by the benefit cap in each month since April 2017; how many children were included in each affected family; how many families were (1) lone parent families or (2) two-parent families; and how many of those families had one or more parents in work. [HL4636]

Baroness Buscombe: The table below shows the number of households with three or more children that had their Housing Benefit capped at each month since April 2017 by family type and number of children, for lone parent families and two-parent families.

The information requested on the number of families with three or more children that have been affected by the benefit cap in each month since April 2017 with one or more parents in work is not readily available and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Households receiving Universal Credit with earning of £520 a month and households receiving Working Tax Credit are exempt from the benefit cap. At August 2017 38,795 households that had previously had their Housing Benefit capped and were no longer capped had an open Working Tax Credit claim, indicating that they had moved into work.

Number of households with three or more children that had their Housing Benefit capped at each month since April 2017 by family type and number of children
Apr-17
Family Type	Couple with child dependant(s)	Single with child dependant(s)	Total
Number of Children
3 dependants	5,987	21,349	27,335
4 dependants	3,614	11,752	15,368
5 dependants	1,543	3,463	5,008
More than 5 dependants	639	1,024	1,663
Total	11,789	37,592	49,378
May-17
Family Type	Couple with child dependant(s)	Single with child dependant(s)	Total
Number of Children
3 dependants	6,251	21,539	27,793
4 dependants	3,742	12,100	15,840
5 dependants	1,590	3,550	5,142
More than 5 dependants	677	1,045	1,721
Total	12,255	38,238	50,501
Jun-17
Family Type	Couple with child dependant(s)	Single with child dependant(s)	Total
Number of Children
3 dependants	6,233	21,958	28,192
4 dependants	3,704	12,068	15,773
5 dependants	1,607	3,595	5,198
More than 5 dependants	681	1,058	1,739
Total	12,224	38,676	50,898
Jul-17
Family Type	Couple with child dependant(s)	Single with child dependant(s)	Total
Number of Children
3 dependants	6,149	22,466	28,610
4 dependants	3,575	12,045	15,628
5 dependants	1,581	3,529	5,108
More than 5 dependants	651	1,043	1,693
Total	11,959	39,086	51,046
Aug-17
Family Type	Couple with child dependant(s)	Single with child dependant(s)	Total
Number of Children
3 dependants	5,948	22,439	28,384
4 dependants	3,522	11,848	15,370
5 dependants	1,572	3,472	5,043
More than 5 dependants	639	1,051	1,697
Total	11,677	38,812	50,485
INFO Statistical disclosure control has been applied to these tables to avoid the release of confidential data. Totals may not sum due to the disclosure control applied.
Source: Department for Work and Pensions (Via Parliament.UK)