People in Cardiff who are being hit by the UK government’s new benefit cap have been talking about how it will affect their lives.
Cardiff Council says more than 1,000 people will be affected by the cuts that have been introduced across the UK today.
The people affected will be up to £115 worse off a week and those already living on the poverty line will struggle.
The cap – which has been reduced from £26,000 to £20,000 outside of London – will limit the amount of money a household can receive in benefits. This figure will include Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit, Jobseekers’ Allowance and Universal Credit.
It means that people like father-of-three Christopher Davies from Ely could lose £50 a week in housing benefit. Mr Davies says he got laid off a few months ago and the drop in money had already become a problem for him. He says the cap will now put even more pressure on him to find work.
Nerys Sheehan, from the community organisation Action in Caerau and Ely, says the cap is going to cause more hardship for families who are already struggling between heating and eating. She says there will be an increased demand on food and fuel banks in the area – and inevitably more children will be left hungry.
