6 August 2018

Work and Pensions Committee inquiry - Benefit Cap

In February 2017 the Work and Pensions Committee launched an inquiry into the Benefit cap, which could not continue due to the General Election. The Committee is now re-launching the inquiry.

The cap is intended to incentivise behavioural change amongst claimants and secure savings for the Exchequer. The re-opened inquiry seeks to establish to what extent is it achieving that.  To what extent has claimant behaviour responded to the cap, through moving into work, moving house, etc? What effect does the lower cap have on incentives, what are the barriers to behavioural change and how can they be overcome?   Does the cap address high underlying rates of housing benefit and child maintenance in a fair way? Are there unintended consequences (either positive or negative) of the cap?

The closing date for submissions is Monday 10 September 2018.

More information about the inquiry, including sending in submissions, is avalable on the Parliament UK website