Single parents win benefits cap battle

Single parents with children under the age of two have won a legal battle against the government's benefits cap.

In what The Independent described as a "huge blow" for the government, the High Court ruled the ceiling unlawful and said it discriminates against single parents with young children.

The current cap, introduced by the coalition government, limits the total amount a household can receive to £23,000 a year in London and £20,000 elsewhere in the country if parents work less than 16 hours a week.

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However, lone parents with children under two do not qualify for free childcare "and so would find it difficult and often impossible to juggle working the minimum 16 hours a week required to evade the cap while finding means to care for the child", says The Guardian.

Handing down his verdict, Mr Justice Collins said the legislation was causing "real damage" to lone parent families and that "real misery is being caused to no good purpose".

He added: "They are not workshy but find it, because of the care difficulties, impossible to comply with the work requirement."

The government announced it would appeal the decision, but the ruling means ministers "are now likely to be forced to change or scrap one of their flagship welfare policies", says the Independent.

A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions told the BBC it was "disappointed" with the decision and said the cap had been intended to "incentivise" work, which was "the best way to raise living standards".