ALMOST 350 households in Tendring have lost out due to a controversial benefits cap which has not been raised since 2023.

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) figures show 342 households receiving Universal Credit in Tendring were affected by the benefit cap in May.

This was a 72 per cent increase since February, when 199 households in Tendring had their income restricted.

The figures also show 86 per cent of families capped in Tendring were headed by one parent, more than the 77 per cent in February.

The benefit cap is a limit to the total amount of benefits that working age people can get, but there are exemptions for disability benefits and other carer and guardian allowances.

The cap was last raised in April 2023 unlike most benefits which rose by 6.7 per cent this April.

The cap currently stands at £22,020 for families with children across Britain and £25,323 for those in London.

Anyone due to receive more than this amount in benefits will see it capped.

Nationally, 118,000 households on Universal Credit had their income capped this quarter, an increase of 61 per cent with most of these being households with children.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, called the cap "cruel and nonsensical", saying that families often living in cramped temporary accommodation are trapped in homelessness and poverty.

She added: "With a record number of children growing up homeless in temporary accommodation, if the Government is serious about tackling child poverty, it must take immediate action.

"The benefit cap must be scrapped so families can move on from damaging temporary accommodation into a settled home."

A government spokesman said: "This is another example of the dire inheritance this Government faces – too many people are trapped on benefits.

“We are taking bold action to support people into work, through reforming Job Centres and giving local areas the power they need to tackle economic inactivity, which will boost their finances and reduce the likelihood of being impacted by the cap.

"We are committed to supporting low-income families and our ambitious strategy along with a £421million extension to the Household Support Fund will ensure we can drive down poverty in every part of the country."