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 Brighton, Kemptown constituency; and if he will make a statement.

The DWP will be evaluating the benefit cap policy and, where possible, its impact on movement into work later this year and expect to publish these findings in autumn 2014.

The latest official Benefit cap statistics, available at

www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/341890/benefit-cap-may-2014.pdf, show that by May 2014, 120 households had been capped in Brighton Kemptown constituency. Amongst the 54 households that are no longer capped, 17 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.