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Shelter responds to ruling on benefit cap for lone parents with children under two

Posted 15 Mar 2018

An appeal to maintain the benefit cap on lone parents with children under two years by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) (DA & others v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions) has been upheld in the Court of Appeal today. 

Responding to the judgement, Shelter’s Chief Executive, Polly Neate, said:

“The High Court initially ruled that the blanket application of the benefit cap to single parents with very young children is flawed and discriminatory – so we are hugely disappointed that an appeal by the DWP has been upheld, meaning the cap will remain.  

“At Shelter, we frequently hear from lone parents who are facing homelessness because of the benefit cap. Many desperately want to work but can't make up the required hours each week because jobs are low paid, insecure and temporary while childcare is expensive. The judgement recognises the incredible hardship caused by the cap, so we urge the government to listen to this and do the right thing by scrapping the benefit cap immediately.

“In reality, this cap hauls many single-parent-families below the poverty line so they can’t even give their children basic necessities like food and clothes, let alone pay for extras like school trips and birthday presents. It is a cruel, unnecessary, and ineffective way of achieving what the government claims is its aim of getting people into work.

“Whilst we are deeply unhappy with today’s outcome, we won’t give up – and this isn’t the end of our fight, as the cap has a devastating impact on children and families. We are now looking ahead to support a further legal challenge to the crippling benefit cap, which will be heard in the High Court later this month.”