'I'm worried about the benefits cap'
I HAVE just had an official letter telling me my benefits might be capped. I'm really worried about how I'll manage if they cut our money – we can only just afford the rent and other bills now. What is happening and what should I do?
From April next year, there will be a limit on how much money you can get from some benefits. This is called the benefit cap. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is writing to people who might be affected to tell them about the changes.
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You are only likely to be worse off than before if you're getting Housing benefit. This is because your housing benefit will be cut if you're getting some benefits that, together with your housing benefit, take you over the cap.
The cap is expected to be:
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â £500 a week if you're in a couple, or a single person and you have dependent children
â £350 a week if you're single and don't have children or have children who don't live with you.
You won't be affected at all if you qualify for one of the following:
â Working tax credit
â Disability living allowance or attendance allowance
â Employment and support allowance, if paid with the support component
â Industrial injuries benefits
â War widows or widowers pension.
There are also some benefits which won't be counted when working out whether you're over the cap. These are:
â Council tax support, which replaces council tax benefit from April 2013
â Pension credit
â State retirement pension
â one off payments, for example, Social Fund loans
â non-cash benefits, for example, free school meals.
It's important that you find out now if you might be worse off after the cap starts next year, so you can plan how to deal with it. You can get more information about the benefit cap on the Citizens Advice website www.adviceguide.org.uk or the government website www.direct.gov.uk.
Comments
by pillowfight
Sunday, September 09 2012, 5:10PM
“I work 48 hours a week & I do not take home £350 p/w.
No wonder the benefit bums can afford to smoke, drink & spend their days in gambling offices.
Oh for the life of Riley.”
by barrie53
Sunday, September 09 2012, 2:31PM
“Try living on a pension ,neaver made a claim in my life. But really angry when people go on having more children just to stay at home and not work , and think it is ok for other people to pay for them.There are genuine people, but far to many who are not ,they just think if they can get it without working for it then they will.”
by TorysRule
Sunday, September 09 2012, 9:46AM
“£350 a week if you're single and don't have children?
What a joke.”
by artglad
Sunday, September 09 2012, 3:17AM
“To the likes of Cameron and his cronies £500 is nothing , probably what he spends on a breakfast.”
by dicktator
Saturday, September 08 2012, 5:40PM
“This article is headed "I'm worried about the benefits cap". I'm worried about the amount of tax I pay to fund state funding.”
by arealbristol
Saturday, September 08 2012, 5:38PM
“It's £500 net (after tax) per week. That's equivalent to a salary of £34,580 per year - PLUS Council tax benefit & free school meals (which adds to this amount)
If you can't live on that there is something wrong with you.”
by lilmizz74
Saturday, September 08 2012, 5:11PM
“Wish I did get £500 a week!
I pay bills like everyone else!”
by lolly60
Saturday, September 08 2012, 5:00PM
“I think £500 a week is plenty why should you worry if they cut it to that ,count yourself lucky you don't have to pay all that like what most of us do.”
by lilmizz74
Saturday, September 08 2012, 4:35PM
“@BCFCfinker
I wish I did have time to be lazy!!! With 3 kids to look after (2 of which have special needs)
I don't seem to have enough hours in the day!!
It just angers me how society see everyone that is on benefits as a lazy scrounger!!!
Thank you for your kind words”
by BCFCfinker
Saturday, September 08 2012, 4:11PM
“@lilmizz74
Do you class yourself as lazy? If you don't, then some of the comments made, aren't aimed at you.
Generalisations are being made and the unfortunate thing, people like you become the collateral damage in the mud slinging that follows. My sincerest condolences for your loss and for your daughters condition.
This legislation by the looks of it is try and discourage people opting for a life on benefits i.e. taking it as a life style choice. It's happened because the polititians have been slow to realise that some people have asked themselves this question:
'Why should I go to work when I can stay at home doing nothing and earn more?'
You as a result have been tarred with the same brush as them. It's not fair but it happens.”