Recommendation 9

We welcome the decision by the Government to exempt the cost of living payments from the benefit cap so that those most in need of support can receive it. This decision suggests, however, that the Department knows that the cap is set too low to effectively cover households’ now spiralling costs of living. Regardless of the changes made when the Fixed Term Parliaments Act was repealed, it was clearly not the intention of the original legislation that the benefit cap go more than six years without even being reviewed, let alone adjusted for inflation. The benefit cap should be reviewed urgently—and certainly no later than the end of 2022—to ensure it is in line with average household incomes and increasing rent/energy/food costs—the results of this review should be published. Furthermore, the cap must be uprated this year. (Paragraph 39) Deductions