Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the potential effect of reducing the benefit cap to £23,000 in London and £20,000 elsewhere on helping unemployed people into work.

Evaluation evidence of the original benefit cap showed that capped households were 41% more likely to enter work than similar non-capped households. Looking at London alone, capped households were 70% more likely to enter work than similar non-capped London households. The new tiered benefit cap strengthens work incentives and ensures that the work incentive effects are better felt across the country.

To help individuals into employment, a range of employment support and advice is available from Jobcentres, including for claimants who do not have any conditionality requirements. This includes additional work coach time for those claimants not already fully supported in their work search. Households who may be affected by the new benefit cap were informed of the support on offer in advance to help them move into work.