Ministers are urged to scrap controversial cap on benefits
THE GOVERNMENT has been urged to scrap its controversial benefit cap after the High Court declared it unlawfully discriminates against lone parents with children under the age of two.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn responded to the ruling by describing it as a “further demonstration of the failure of this Government’s austerity agenda”.
After a judge in London found that “real misery is being caused to no good purpose”, Mr Corbyn said: “The Prime Minister should accept the High Court’s judgment and end this discrimination against parents and children.”
Mr Justice Collins ruled in favour of four lone parent families in their action against the Work and Pensions Secretary over the benefit cap, which limits the income households receive in certain benefits.
He said the successful claim related to the “revised” benefit cap which “requires the parent in order to avoid the imposition of the cap to work at least 16 hours per week”.
Lawyers for the families said that a reduced benefit cap, introduced last year, “drastically reduced housing benefits, leaving lone-parent families across the country unable to afford basic life necessities to care for their children”.
Mr Justice Collins announced that the regulations are “unlawful insofar as they apply to lone parents with a child or children under the age of two”, as they involve “unjustified discrimination” against parents and children.
After giving his decision yesterday he gave the Government permission to appeal.
A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said: “We are disappointed with the decision and intend to appeal.”
In his ruling, Mr Justice Collins announced: “Whether or not the defendant accepts my judgment, the evidence shows that the cap is capable of real damage to individuals such as the claimants.
“They are not workshy but find it, because of the care difficulties, impossible to comply with the work requirement. Most lone parents with children under two are not the sort of households the cap was intended to cover and, since they will depend on DHP (Discretionary Housing Payments), they will remain benefit households. Real misery is being caused to no good purpose.”
The Child Poverty Action Group said it hoped it was the “beginning of the end for this nasty policy”.
Real misery is being caused to no good purpose. Mr Justice Collins in his ruling on the Government’s benefits cap.