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 the extension of the benefit cap to £23,000 per year on the number of (a) people and (b) children who use food banks in (i) the London Borough of Newham and (ii) East Ham constituency.

These figures are not available. It is widely acknowledged that the reasons people use food banks are complex and overlapping; it is misleading to link them to any one cause.

For claimants who have their benefit capped extra financial support is available from Local Authorities via Discretionary Housing Payments. Local Authorities also offer budgeting advice and DWP offers claimants employment advice.