Thu, 6 Nov 2014More than 12,000 households have decided to move into work or stop claiming housing benefit because of the benefits cap, according to a statement from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).

Iain Duncan Smith, work and pensions secretary, said that the benefits cap, which ensures no one receives more in out-of-work benefits than the average household income, has had a “real impact in changing attitudes and behaviours”.

Duncan Smith said: “By putting an end to runaway benefit claims, and introducing a system which guarantees you will always be better off in work, we are incentivising people to move into employment.”

The data from the DWP was collated from April 2013 to August 2014.
Other figures from the DWP showed:

• 51,200 households have had their benefits capped since April 2013
• 15,000 households are no longer capped as they moved into work, reduced their housing benefit claim or are no longer claiming housing benefit at all
• 23,900 households are no longer subject to the benefit cap

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