Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment he has made of the employment outcomes of people affected by the benefit cap.

The latest official statistics, which are available at www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/341890/benefit-cap-may-2014.pdf show that by May 2014, 39% of those no longer subject to the cap, 7,400 households, have moved into work, as shown by them having an open Working Tax Credit claim. In addition to this there may be a small number of cases who have moved into work with sufficiently high salaries that they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit.

The DWP will be evaluating the policy and, where possible, its impacts on employment later this year and expect to publish these findings in autumn 2014.