PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Social Security Benefits: Tynemouth (9 February 2017)

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claimants subject to the lower benefit cap in Tynemouth are in receipt of (a) jobseeker's allowance, (b) employment and support allowance, (c) income support, (d) housing benefit and (e) another benefit.

Asked by:
Sir Alan Campbell (Labour)

The information is provided in the table below.

Estimated breakdown of households affected by the lower cap levels by benefit receipt, 2016/17, GB

Benefit Received	Proportion of Capped Households
	North Tyneside Council	Great Britain
Employment and Support Allowance	20%	21%
Income Support	62%	49%
Jobseeker's Allowance	17%	21%
Other	1%	9%
Total (Housing Benefit)	100%	100%

These estimates focus on the benefit cap continuing to be applied under Housing Benefit and therefore all households affected will be in receipt of Housing Benefit. The benefit cap will increasingly be applied under Universal Credit as it gradually rolls out. Universal Credit will replace Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-based Employment and Support Allowance and Housing Benefit, along with Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit.

Notes:

1. Figures may not sum due to rounding.
2. Estimates assume no behavioural responses - any behavioural responses to the lower cap, such as claimants moving into employment, would cause the number of households affected to reduce and may change the proportional split.
3. The methodology used to estimate the households affected by the cap is consistent with that described in the latest impact assessment published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welfare-reform-and-work-act-impact-assessment-for-the-benefit-cap

Answered by:
Caroline Nokes (Conservative)
22 February 2017