Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate he has made of the effects of the benefits cap on reducing unemployment in (a) Medway and (b) Gillingham and Rainham constituency; and if he will make a statement.

A suite of evaluation was published on 15 December 2014 finding those who would be impacted by the benefit cap were 41 per cent more likely to go into work, as defined by having an open Working Tax Credit claim, than a similar group with benefit entitlement just under the cap level and 38 per cent of those capped said they were doing more to find work. Further information can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-evaluation

The number of households capped in Medway Local Authority from the introduction of the benefit cap (on 15 April 2013) to August 2014 (the latest available data) was 239. Of the 109 households who were no longer capped as at August 2014, 36 had an open Working Tax Credit (WTC) claim, indicative of a move into work. This is not a comprehensive measure of moves into work; some individuals may go into work but may not be eligible to claim WTC if their earnings are too high or the hours worked do not meet the claim requirements.

The number of households capped in Gillingham and Rainham Parliamentary Constituency from the introduction of the benefit cap (on 15 April 2013) to August 2014 (the latest available data) was 81. Of the 35 households who were no longer capped as at August 2014, 6 had an open Working Tax Credit claim, indicative of a move into work. This is not a comprehensive measure of moves into work; some individuals may go into work but may not be eligible to claim WTC if their earnings are too high or the hours worked do not meet the claim requirements. Further information can be found at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-august-2014