[kirklancaster]

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier

That's not even vaguely how it works, though. Benefits scale with earned income so, no, a family of four with an income of say £16,000 would still be getting working tax credit, child tax credit and child benefit bringing their total after-tax income to around £25500. Total for the same family with two unemployed adults would have been about £21000, now capped at £20000.

It scales in this way across the range of earned income so the idea that "hard working families" end up worse off than those not working is nonsense. The only way it could be even vaguely true is if the person working has absolutely massive travel costs.

I'm afraid that without researching this (and I have not time at present) I have to defer to your superior knowledge here T.S. because I am not au fait with the specifics and minutiae of Benefit Allowances - other than direct personal knowledge of what SOME unmarried mothers and their live-in partners are receiving for their very large number of children, and that is not pertinent here.

I will say though, that as far as my statement on these cuts go, I did base it on the very information given in the OP and linked article:

"From Monday. the annual limit on welfare payments to unemployed households will drop from £26,000 to £23,000 in London and £20,000 outside the capital."

Thus, I assumed that £26,000 is THE current amount in London.

"The move was announced by George Osborne last year and has been described as a "monstrous" assault on struggling families that will shatter the life chances of the poorest children.

Around 20,000 families are currently capped by an annual limit of £26,000 (or £500 a week) on total household benefits, introduced in 2013. But the new lower caps are set to bring an explosion in the numbers affected to around 64,000 households.

Nearly two thirds of those affected are single mothers, according to the general union GMB."

Thus, I assumed that this means that over 43,000 SINGLE mothers are currently in receipt of total benefits of £26,000 pa.

Now if this is the case - as the article states it is - then I do not know of any single working mothers who enjoy incomes of £26,000 pa.

Take into account that from single working mothers incomes HAS to be deducted mortgage/rent payments, Council Tax, working expenses - food and travel etc - unlike non-working single mothers, and I am still of the opinion that the average working single mother is a lot worse off in real terms than her non-working counterpart.

I am here to be educated T.S. - and that is NOT me being sarcastic or facetious but totally genuine.