NEW figures have revealed that 40 households in Bury were among 2,292 in the North West who have had their benefits capped.

The government’s decision to cap benefits is aimed at stopping households receiving more in benefits than the average family earns. The cap is £26,000, including housing benefit.

Ministers say it is a key part of a long-term economic plan to make sure it “delivers for hardworking people and fix the broken welfare system.”

A total of 363 households in Manchester, 176 in Liverpool, and 139 in Bolton, have had their benefits capped by November last year, and those authorities are the three most affected in the region.

Latest statistics also show that in November:

  • Almost 150 households were capped by at least £350 a week
  • More than 1,000 single people without children were capped
  • The top 10 areas had capped more than 500 households each and more than 9,000 house-holds in total since April, 2013
  • In November, 2013, more than 27,000 households had their benefits capped and since April, 2013, almost 33,000 households have been capped overall.

Minister for welfare reform, Lord Freud, said: “It is not right that some families on benefits were receiving amounts of money that hardworking taxpayers could only dream of and our welfare reforms are working to fix the system.

“By exempting people who are receiving Working Tax Credit, the benefit cap is increasing incentives to move into work and we already know that about 19,000 claimants potentially affected by the benefit cap have found jobs.”

The benefit cap applies to combined income from the main out-of-work benefits, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit and other benefits such as housing benefit, child benefit and child tax credit and carer’s allowance.