The Benefits Cap: Is It Working? Panorama

'This is the household benefit cap helpline.'

It's a tough new Government policy for the unemployed.

This programme contains some strong language.

It's all because of this stupid benefit cap.

If it weren't for the benefit cap,

then I would not be living like this.

Get a job or we'll cut your benefits.

The closer it gets, the more nervous I will get.

I haven't had an interview in 17 years.

The government says life shouldn't be easy on state handouts.

Obviously, tobacco and, obviously, I have my beers.

Which is about...

40 quid a week.

Thousands of families have had their housing benefit cut to 50p a week.

My dad said that we haven't got enough money,

and they want to pay the rent.

Parents who've not worked for years

are having their lives turned upside down.

It's to do with everything, Tariq. It's to do with having

-my own

-BLEEP

-money, which has a chance of being stopped anyway.

So can the benefit cap force people back to work?

Read it out loud.

"Congratulations, I'm pleased to confirm that you

"have been successful at your recent interview."

Over five months, we followed five families.

Might just as well go home and shoot myself.

-You don't mean that, do you?

-Yes.

Yeah, that's how I feel.

What's the point?

What is the point in trying to carry on?

The benefit cap is changing lives, but is it working?

Well, the benefit cap was introduced to try and level up

the playing field between families who are in work

and those who are reliant on benefits.

And fundamentally, what we sought to do was incentivise work,

because we know that the outcomes for children will be better

if they're in families that are working.

The benefit cap is set at £23,000 for people in London,

£20,000 for people outside of London.

So that means the total amount of benefits they receive

will be stopped at that amount.

This is a level that bears no relation to anything else.

It's completely arbitrary.

£23,000 in London, £20,000 outside of London, tax-free,

is a very significant amount of money.

The level at which the benefits cap is being set

is more than adequate.

I wish to God I'd never heard of the benefit cap.

I wish. I wish...

If that didn't kick in, I'd still be in that house.

This is where single mum Sarah Smith used to live,

with four of her children.

And then it all happened.

Just...within days, I had to pack my stuff and leave.

And that's where it all started.

Sarah had been getting £428 a week in benefits.

But in November, they were cut by £44.

Her landlord evicted her because her payments had been reduced.

Now she is homeless.

This is where I sit in the day and this is where I sleep at night,

on my sister's sofa.

So that's all I own, just that black bag with a few clothes in,

and just the box with a few toiletries and stuff in.

That's how bad it is.

I'm 35 years old and I've got nothing.

I've got absolutely nothing.

And the worst thing about it, the worst one out of it all,

I've not even got my kids.

My little girl, Frankie.

Sarah has seven children. Three are in foster care,

but four lived with her until she lost her home.

They're now living with other people.

Her youngest is Frankie, who's one.

I didn't even get to see her first steps and stuff like that,

and it broke me, so I just broke down crying.

The first time she saw Frankie walk was when she met her children

in the cafe at Tesco.

Frankie! Come on, then, gorgeous.

Aw, little midget.

'Just thinking about it now, I've tears in my eyes and stuff.

'It's horrible.'

Whee!

'I've got no choice but to basically leave them where they are'

for the time being.

Obviously, like I said, it absolutely kills me inside.

It kills me inside that there's nothing I can do about it.

Sarah's 35 and has not worked for 17 years.

Under the rules, as a single mum,

she could get her full benefits back

by working 16 hours a week.

If I wanted to, I wouldn't even be able to get myself a job now

because I've got nowhere stable.

I'm not saying I'm never going to get a job, like, sort of thing,

but, you know, in my situation, I can't.

This is the lowest of the low.

It cannot get any worse.

But I do think to myself,

"Flipping hell, what's going to be next?"

What is going to be next?

Do you accept that the cap is breaking up some families?

The benefit cap is designed to incentivise work,

and what we know is that people are moving into work,

and we know that children will be better off

when their parents are working.

The Government estimates 88,000 households

will be affected by the cap.

Kim Carmichael and her family are one of them.

-Hi.

-Hi. All right?

-Yeah, you?

She's come to a food bank for help.

-So how's you?

-Really, really wound up at the moment.

We've been hit by the benefit cap, haven't we?

Her family used to get £500 a week in benefits.

That's been cut by £120.

-And the children's ages?

-Seven, four,

and both of them, three and three.

-Any baby food, or...?

-Nappies, if you've got any, yeah, five.

Fruit.

Two meat, two fish and two veg.

See you later.

And you, bye.

Out the way.

Kim and husband Steve haven't worked for almost nine years.

Go away.

Now, under the rules, as a couple,

they could get their full benefits back

if they work 24 hours a week between them.

I've got severe depression, ME,

which basically means I get tired constantly,

I can't do everyday tasks.

Steve used to be a builder,

but hasn't had a job since injuring his hand in an accident.

I'm a worker, but obviously, that accident's cost me my chance

to work for quite a few years.

One. One for now.

I'd rather be able to stand on my own two feet and rely on myself

rather than rely on benefits going in.

I don't want to be relying on benefits.

-I'm going to eat all the custard.

-No!

And all the peaches and all the pears.

Is there any work you could have done in the last nine years

with that injury?

I'm still very limited to what work I can do now, really.

I mean, it's all about your manual dexterity.

I saw the pictures of you on the Wii, though.

-You seemed pretty dextrous.

-I'm playing that.

That's how I get myself...

..my hand working again.

That's why I got it, to try and get my hand working properly.

Under the rules, the cuts are made to housing benefit.

That used to cover Steve and Kim's rent.

Now they're only getting 50p a week.

It's only 50p per week, so that's £2 a month.

Which they may as well keep.

Cost them more to send the letter out.

Christmas is going to be different this year.

Make sure you don't drop it.

The kids have had to go without, basically, because the money

that we would have used on the presents

has had to go towards rent.

My dad said that "You might not be able to get as much presents

"as you might as last year,"

because we haven't got enough money,

and they want to pay the rent.

Panorama has spoken to local councils across Britain.

We found that more than 67,000 households have been capped so far.

Of those, 11% have had their housing benefit cut to 50p a week.

That's 7,595 families like Steve and Kim...

..who are now facing eviction.

"Notice requiring possession.

"After 31st January, that's when the possession is required."

We've got till 31st January to either get something in place

with the council or struggle even more and find the rent each month,

which we probably won't be able to do.

So by the end of January, basically, we're out of this house.

-What was that like, when you're days away from that happening?

-Panicking.

Panicking. Worrying about the kids.

Worrying about having to move them out of school.

Some people will watch this and say, "Get a job, do any job..."

-Of course they will!

-"..and get your benefits back."

-What do you say to them?

-Yeah. That's what I'm intending to do.

How are people supposed to pay their rent

when their housing benefit's 50p?

Well, we had to have a mechanism that would enable us to implement

the benefit cap and, in many cases, that's used through housing benefit.

But you have to remember that a household that

has only 50p of housing benefit actually is receiving

in the region of £20,000 a year outside London in total benefits.

That's about the same as an ordinary family.

Four in ten families would be earning that sort of money.

In reality, that's a completely false comparison.

People who are working also receive benefits on top of that.

They can claim child benefit, housing benefit, tax credits.

So their total income is significantly

in excess of those figures.

Go to your room, please.

60-year-old widow Colleen McManus

is bringing up her four grandchildren on her own.

-You're a very lucky boy, if you get all those, won't you?

-Yeah!

The courts have decided their mum is unfit to bring them up.

'I got the two older ones first, almost ten years ago.'

Stop it now, you're going over the top.

'Then Ryder, when he was 18 months. He's eight now.

'And Roman's been with us since March last year.'

I've got a special guardianship order for my grandchildren,

and that means that I am responsible for them

until they are 18 years old.

That means I will be working until I'm 75.

Because I'll be 75, Roman will be 18. It never stops.

Colleen gets a special allowance for bringing up the boys,

£29,000 a year.

'The money was given for the boys.

'It is for extra clothing, it is for days out, it is for holidays.

'It is for them so that they don't miss out on the things

'that other children have.'

You can't go now because they only let you in in blocks.

But she also relies on benefits for day-to-day living.

She was getting £460 a week.

That's been cut by £75.

Her housing benefit is now just 50p a week,

and she's fallen into rent arrears.

'It's not fair. These children have had a bad start in life.'

They've been given to me to look after.

How can I care for them when they're taking money off me?

It's not right. It isn't right.

We are a special case, we're different.

'So, so wrong. So wrong.'

With that guardianship allowance,

that gives you almost 50 grand a year.

Some viewers will say it's entirely reasonable

that you use that to pay the rent.

All along, I've been told this money is for the boys.

It's for the boys, it's for the boys.

And I've spent it on the boys, on their extracurricular activities,

on things they want,

on their Christmas, on their birthdays.

I'm not being greedy, and I'm not trying to be controversial

or to say to anybody, "Yes, I should have it because it's my right."

What I'm saying is this money is for the boys.

It's been two months since Steve and Kim had their benefits capped

at £20,000 a year.

£20,000 a year does sound a lot.

It's not a lot, really.

By the time you've paid your gas, your electric, your rent,

if you've got to pay rent, your council tax,

your food shopping...clothes for the kids,

trips, school trips and stuff like that,

your weekly money soon goes.

Oh! It's 10-1!

Go away, loser!

'We've had to cut back on the food shopping.'

We're worrying about when we can and can't put the heating on,

basically, because of thinking...

well...you know, "I've got to have that money to last me the week."

-Go and share that.

-Thanks.

Cameron... No, Ewan first, cos he asked first.

And then you can have it second, OK?

'Every day just costs.

'Bread, milk, topping everything up.'

The food is £135 per week.

That's our budget.

Plus nappies and that, as well. Nappies, wipes.

We obviously need toilet rolls and stuff like that

which, obviously, your essentials.

Obviously, tobacco, and obviously, I have my beers.

Which is about...40 quid a week.

Why do you need £40 on beer and cigarettes,

if the budget is so tight?

I make sure the kids have got their food first.

What I do with the rest of that money after that is my business,

no-one else's.

What do you think about the people who will say, you know,

you shouldn't have beer and cigarettes?

I'd say to you how much do you spend on it?

That's it. How much do you spend on beer and on cigarettes?

I think people have every right to feel aggrieved

when they pick up their newspaper or turn on their television

and they see very large families

receiving huge amounts of money in benefits,

often living lifestyles

that taxpayers cannot afford for themselves.

The collateral damage in all of this are the children.

Whatever you think of the parents,

the children didn't do anything to deserve this,

and they find themselves living in families

where there simply isn't enough to live on,

parents can't put food on the table,

and they're also humiliated by having to attend food banks

to get the food they need.

You didn't look then, did you?

We just want to... hope we have somewhere to live.

Steve and Kim are now three weeks away from losing their home.

The government's set aside £67 million this year

to help people affected by the cap.

It's called Discretionary Housing Payment,

and Steve needs it.

We've had an eviction notice,

which will be served at the end of January...

..which will basically leave me homeless,

and my four kids and the wife, so...

Let's see if they'll actually do anything for me.

A lot is riding on this meeting.

If he doesn't get the money, the family could lose their home.

-I'll get your pram.

-Mummy, help me.

You want me to help you? Come on, then.

It's an anxious wait for Kim and the children.

-Ready?

-Yes, go.

'If we move through choice, that's different.

'But basically, to be forced out of your own home because the council

'decides they're not going to pay the housing benefit, it's not fair.'

And stop!

-Basically, they approved it this morning.

-Brilliant.

So they'll pay up to the end of March, 31st of March.

Do you know what? That's a huge relief.

Means they're all right, at least the kids have somewhere to live,

they don't have to stress out, they're all right for school, so...

Happy days, isn't it?

We can stay in the house...

..until the end of March, that's what he said.

But the extra money won't last long.

Only up to March 31st at the minute. It doesn't last forever,

they just check your circumstances over and over, so...

Hopefully, one of us is in a job by then.

What happens if people lose their home?

Isn't that more expensive, trying to rehouse them?

We've put in a significant amount of support,

including Discretionary Housing Payments,

to make sure people are able to adjust to the new level

of the benefit cap, and able to make the right choices

about their families.

The benefit cap, say, is going to save

about £150 million a year in the long run.

Whereas the government spends about £100 billion a year

on benefits for the working age population.

And, so, £150 million is still only

a fraction of that total amount spent on benefits.

Many of the savings the government intended to make

are being lost because they have to spend

on Discretionary Housing Payments,

in order to prevent people being made homeless.

So they're taking with one hand and giving back with another hand.

It's kind of a strange way

of determining public policy on benefits.

Sarah has now been homeless for three months.

Whee!

She's still living on her sister's sofa.

Her youngest daughter, Frankie, has now moved in with her...

..but her other kids are still staying with other people.

Frankie! Frankie!

'All I just want is somewhere to live, to have my family back.

'It breaks my heart. It really, really breaks my heart.'

-Mum, Mum!

-Mum, Mum. Mum.

-SHE LAUGHS

I love it when she says that - "Mum."

Aw, my little baby, aren't you?

Sarah wants to find out if she can afford a house

under the benefit cap.

She's facing a difficult decision.

To avoid being capped,

she might have to choose which of her children can live with her.

I'm looking at local authority accommodation

and the rent levels for this part of the country,

and with three children,

you would actually be below the benefit cap

and you would not be affected by it.

But, of course, you've got four children,

the benefit cap will apply

-and you won't get full housing benefit.

-Yeah.

So, if she wants to escape the cap, she'll have to leave a child behind.

I think it's the most horriblest, terriblest thing

they could have brought out

because if it's doing this to families and stuff, we're like...

Families need to be together and, obviously,

it's broke me up with my family and stuff like that.

And, obviously, it's been about four months now or something

and I'm still not settled, I've still not got my children back.

You all right?

Bruce Deakin is a single dad looking after four kids.

Two more!

He volunteers at his children's swimming club,

but hasn't worked for six years.

-What?

-CHILD SHOUTS

HE LAUGHS

He used to get £460 a week in benefits.

They've been cut by £80.

When you get to that...

..gambol, carry on.

He could lose his home.

Just do two lengths...

'I've given up everything I can.

'I don't drink, I don't smoke any more.

'Everything I do is for the benefit of the kids.'

As far as I'm concerned, it's their happiness is my priority.

What they want, what they need, comes before mine.

Aw!

He says he wants to work...

You're now dead!

..but the issue is childcare.

How can he hold down a job and look after his four children?

See you later.

More than 60% of those affected by the cap

are single parents like Bruce.

'It doesn't matter any more what job I do,

'it just has to allow me

'to financially secure the children and everything that's going on.'

Shift work.

Can't do shift work, again, cos of the childcare implications.

Last week, I applied for nine.

The week before, I think I applied for seven

and I only heard anything back off one of them.

When I spoke to the gentleman on the phone,

he basically told me I needed to be completely flexible with my hours.

Erm, they'd call me up the night before

and tell me what I'd be working the next day,

which, obviously, I can't do

because I've got no-one to sort out the children.

He says working too many hours could leave him worse off.

What makes me best off and the most comfortable financially

is to get between 16 and 21 hours.

As soon as you go over that, you start losing too many benefits.

I don't feel like I am part of the...

..not-wanting-to-work group that are just there scrounging.

I'm trying my best to go out to work.

I'm trying my best to show my kids that this is the way to do things,

this is the right way to do things, this is how you better yourself,

this is how you make your life better.

Oh, overdue rent from Ashfield Homes Service Directorate.

They sound posh, don't they?

It's two months since grandmother Colleen was capped.

I'm fed up of getting letters coming through the door saying,

"You have not paid your rent."

SHE SIGHS

It shouldn't be like that.

£168.39 in arrears now.

I haven't got £168.39, so it'll have to be in arrears,

and next week, it'll be even more.

Colleen doesn't want to pay the rent

with the special allowance she gets for the boys.

Today, her benefits are paid, and she's struggling.

I always check. I check it most days, actually,

but certainly on the days that they get monies due.

I check it then.

Right, come on, then.

And it's gone in, so I can go and pay the rent,

or at least some of it.

Not all of it, or there's nothing left for food and other bills.

Yeah, could you tell me how much rent I owe, please?

Thank you.

Thank you.

She pays off £100.

-That's lovely. Thank you.

-See you again. Bye.

-Bye.

Colleen has already raised her own four children,

and says she gave up work to take care of her grandkids.

-Do you want your yoghurts?

-Yeah.

They're not on offer, but never mind.

-You can only have one, then, right?

-Yeah!

-Just one today.

If she didn't look after them, they'd be in care...

I thought you were helping me.

..and that would cost the taxpayer at least £100,000 a year.

-Do you want to get me milk, please?

-Yeah.

God, that's expensive.

This one is lots, lots cheaper, so we'll get this one.

See what we're up to.

22.45. That's not too bad, actually.

Oh, decisions, decisions.

£40.14.

-MACHINE:

-'Thank you for shopping at Tesco.'

Somebody's got to do something to rectify this situation

because it is so, so appalling.

I probably got off lightly there.

Colleen says looking after four kids on her own

means it's impossible for her to get a job,

but she needs to work to escape the cap.

-You, Ryder, you do it.

-Me?

I can't work. Roman's three.

I've got an hour-and-a-half a day without him. And I also...

You know, find me a job that'll keep me and these four boys

without me claiming benefits - a decent job, a properly paid job.

Find me one, and pay for the childcare.

You know, this is crazy. It's absolutely crazy.

Get in there.

It's estimated that almost

a quarter of a million children are affected by the benefit cap.

They have to see me upset and that I'm tired all the time,

and I'm just not a proper nana, which is all I ever wanted to be.

Never wanted to be anything else.

The whole situation's horrible.

You're strong for the boys. You can't be like that all the time.

-No, I can't, no.

-What are the worst bits for you?

Just worrying about the boys.

Worrying about the boys, cos this is so wrong.

Me and they, we're being vilified for something that isn't our fault.

We haven't done this, we haven't caused this,

and we're being penalised for something we haven't done,

when we've all done the right things,

and we're being penalised.

We reckon, of people affected by the benefit cap,

about 80% of them are not really in a category expected to work

because they're sick or they have very young children.

So there's an overall question about how this can be a policy

about getting people into work when the group that's targeted

isn't really expected to.

Do you think everybody who's capped can go back to work?

There's the Flexible Support Fund,

and our new Personal Support Package for jobseekers

is about trying to make sure that people have

absolutely the most amount of support

to enable them to make the right decision

and the transition into work.

It's February, and single mum-of-three Maria Devoy

has no heating.

And that's the letter regarding the boiler.

As you can see...

The boiler's broke so, in the meantime,

we've got no heating or hot water.

I can't do the washing. I just have to keep boiling kettles.

Yeah, so...not the best.

Radiators are freezing.

Freezing.

Come on. Where's Holly?

It's just all so wrong.

Maria hasn't worked for ten years and her benefits have been capped.

She was getting £450 a week.

That's been cut by £65.

"You are entitled to less housing benefit

"because of the benefit cap the government has introduced.

"The benefit cap means the total of all the benefits you receive

"cannot be more than a set maximum weekly amount.

"The benefit cap reduction is 65.67."

Just seems so wrong that they can give you the benefit...

..then take it back off you.

The housing benefit used to cover her rent.

Now it's been reduced and she's £700 in arrears.

Her housing association wants to evict her.

We were handed a letter from the housing last week

to say they're going to start court proceedings

cos we've been hit by the benefit cap.

Just don't know whether we're going to have a house next month or...

The stress, the worry - it's just all hard.

Where are we going to go?

I don't know. I don't know.

Maria was badly assaulted eight years ago

and still suffers from her injuries.

Why can't you work?

Because I suffer very severe pain in my lower back.

Even if I clean up, like mop the floor or something,

I suffer with the pain, so I'm constantly on painkillers.

And I can't bend, I can't lift.

Yeah, and I'm incontinent as well.

But she has been assessed as able to work in a limited capacity.

As a single mum, Maria will escape the cap

if she finds a job for 16 hours a week.

People might watch this programme and go,

"Look, you've not worked for ten years.

-"This is designed to get..."

-I've got kids.

I believe, when you have kids, you bring them kids up.

It might be old,

but I do believe, if you have kids, you bring them up yourself.

You don't just push them into a nursery

and let somebody else bring them up for you cos that's wrong.

So I've spent time at home bringing my kids up.

That is a sort of luxury, isn't it, to be able to do that?

Maybe you should have to work.

Well, then everybody needs to stop having kids, don't they, really?

A week later, and Maria still has no heating.

This is what we got from the food bank.

The last week's been very, very testing.

Very testing.

No gas, no heating, no hot water, going to the food bank.

It's been very hard.

Just going down to Wirral Change to try and get some advice.

Hopefully, I'll find out if there's any help

towards the arrears or any way round the benefit cap.

I'm hoping for just some idea of where we're going to be next month.

Maria's applied for a Discretionary Housing Payment

to help with her rent.

She's hoping it will clear the arrears

and stop the housing association from evicting her.

I'm here with a client who's had a pre-possession order.

So, I'm just phoning to see whether you can just hold fire

with this application for a possession order.

OK, so you're not prepared to stop the possession proceedings

on the grounds that she paid no payments of the £65?

It's a pity that things have escalated so quickly.

Erm... Right, OK.

So, you're just going to carry on

with the possession order at the moment?

Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. OK.

Right, OK. No joy,

so you're going to have to attend court.

OK.

Her landlord is pressing ahead with the eviction.

It's totally shocked me, that. There's just no leeway whatsoever.

For single-parent families, they're just...

..prepared to see you on the streets.

I'm shocked.

I've got to go to court,

so the fear about that is that we're going to lose the house

and end up on the streets.

We can't have a situation where we are insulating people

who are claiming out-of-work benefits

from the very real decisions

that people who are not on out-of-work benefits

have to make every single day.

There's finally some good news for homeless mum Sarah.

She's been offered a house.

We've got a new house. We've got a new house!

Yeah, well, today is the big day.

I get my keys and I'm, like, really excited.

The council has agreed to pay my deposit on the house

and do my first week's rent.

Yeah, that's it. I've been waiting for this day for a long, long time.

Like, to have a set of keys of my own for my own house.

Because the children haven't been living with her,

she's lost more of her benefits.

Social services have given her an emergency payment of £30.

That's more or less all I've got to live off

for me and my kids till, obviously, I get paid.

I don't know how long that's going to be.

And I told them £30 is not going to last me, like, sort of thing,

because, obviously, for nappies, baby wipes

and just all of our food, like, sort of thing.

She tells her social worker she needs more.

It's to do with everything, Tariq!

It's to do with having my own fucking money,

which has a chance of being stopped anyway.

That's what it's to do with, right?

These people are literally taking the piss

out of my fucking life and my kids' life

and they're supposed to be fucking decent people.

No, but it's up to you to fucking help me this time, isn't it?

At the end of the day, I've got kids, yeah?

I'm in this situation, right, which you've never been in

or anybody probably who you know is in this situation, yeah?

So, obviously, I need money because, like you know,

I live day to day, yeah?

I've got no choice but to live day to day.

And I've got my keys to my house today, right,

which I need money to put gas and electric in that property,

to get my kids back, to feed my kids

and to go and buy little essentials what I need for the house.

I'm not waiting when I should have my own money.

Can't do nothing about it if they're not going

to flipping help me, like, sort of thing.

SHE SCOFFS

Winding me up.

There's a lady, look, looking out the window.

-I'm Sarah. You all right?

-Pleasure to meet you.

-Pleasure.

-Nice to meet you.

-I'm Lisa from the agency.

-I'll take you round the back.

-Thank you. All right, then. Yeah.

Will the gas fire still be in here

or is that being taken out or anything?

-So, are you happy with it?

-Yeah, I am, yeah.

-Yeah?

Yeah, it's what you make of it, isn't it?

So, definitely, yeah. I can make it look nice.

It's all right, isn't it?

Kitchen's all right. I like the kitchen.

Is this our new house? Yeah? Eh?

-Is this Frankie's new house? Yeah?

-SHE LAUGHS

Is it Frankie's new house, yeah?

We're going to have a good time here, eh?

She hopes her benefits will be reinstated

because her children will be back with her again.

The benefit cap will still hit me.

Like, it still will hit me but, like I said,

because the rent's cheaper here - a lot cheaper -

hopefully, I'll be able to get a bit more help.

So, my fingers are crossed on that one a bit.

I'm quite confident that I will get help.

I will, yeah.

What was it like when you were told you were getting the house?

Oh, I was so excited.

I was so excited, I felt like running up...

I felt like running up and down the street. I did.

I was so excited, it was unbelievable.

Cos I thought to myself, "I'll get my own space.

"I'm going to, like, obviously do things how I want to do things,

"have all the kids back."

Single dad Bruce has got an interview.

The closer it gets, the more nervous I will get.

Haven't had an interview in 17 years.

If he gets work, he'll escape the benefit cap.

There is a lot riding on it because it is being done for the kids

and, erm, it's all of our future I'm trying to secure.

It's not just for me, it's for all of us,

so it's got to work.

Nerve-racking. It was worse when I was in there than before.

I seemed to do a lot of waffling,

which is something I wanted to really avoid.

Erm, but that said, I did apologise to them both for waffling.

But if Bruce is offered the job, he might not be able to take it.

He doesn't know if he could do the hours the bank needs.

It was advertised as 20 hours. Erm, it's actually 25.

I'm not sure how that will affect the tax credits

and all that sort of thing, so I need to have a look at...

..what childcare options there is available to me.

I think the main thing now is just to wait the week

to find out if I'm going to be offered the job.

Research suggests about one in 20 people

respond to the cap by getting a job.

About 5% of those affected by the original cap responded,

within a year, by moving into work.

For any government policy to have an impact on people's work choices

of something of the order of 5%, that's quite a big response.

But you might expect that,

given how big the losses were for some of those families affected.

A week later, and Bruce has got an e-mail from the bank.

-Read it out loud.

-"Congratulations.

"I am pleased to confirm

"that you have been successful at your recent interview.

"We will contact you as soon as possible

"to discuss the next steps."

-Ooh!

-Ooh!

-Are you happy with that, Daddy?

-Yeah.

You get to hold lots of money.

HE CHUCKLES

Now, if he takes the job, the benefit cap will be lifted.

He'll get his wages and benefits.

I think I'm going to be about £200 a week better off

by being in work.

At the end of the day, it gets me out of the system.

It gets me off Jobseeker's, back into work,

and it's allowing me and my children to carry on living the way we do.

But the working hours are difficult for Bruce.

He's still not sorted out the childcare.

He thinks he might end up worse off.

Hopefully, I won't have to use that much childcare

and, hopefully, I can get it all to fit together

so that they can carry on doing all their activities.

I suppose I'm just going to hope that's taken into consideration.

What decision did you make?

I couldn't make it work.

I couldn't find a childminder or someone to look after the children

for the Saturdays.

I couldn't find someone that would look after the children

late enough when I was doing the half past five finish.

For the commute back from Birmingham to then go and collect my children,

I would have missed the cut-off point

for collecting the children from the childminder.

It just didn't work.

Ooh, now, I shall have to go back a little bit,

otherwise the nasty little man will be round with a ticket.

Most carers are exempt from the benefit cap,

but kinship carers like Colleen,

who look after the children of relatives, are not.

She wants her MP to get that changed.

-I've been to the minister.

-And...?

I think, longer term, we have to find a way

of trying to continue to get kinship carers recognised...

-Absolutely.

-..in terms of the work...

It can't be anything else.

No, that's right. But that is a long-term project.

-That does not help you out personally in the short-term.

-No.

I think we've got to work with the system as it is...

Her MP supports the cap,

but believes kinship carers should be exempt.

-But if this situation doesn't alter...

-Yes.

..there will be a lot of children going into care,

and what will that do to the coffers?

Well, of course, it will ultimately cost the state.

I wholly recognise what you're...

But, you see, why have I got to keep applying for things?

-Why are kinship carers not, "Right, tick box"?

-Yeah.

They are doing a damn good job as it is, and I am...

-Yeah.

-..but I can't continue with this.

I've got children to look after. I've got papers this high at home

and I'm sick to the back teeth of it.

So, short-term, we've got to deal with the system as it is.

You know, I accept the challenge

but, short-term, let's try and make sure

you've got enough cash to look after those kids.

Well, I haven't, cos I've got £75.74 a week.

It's gone every week.

-Hang in there.

-I don't know if I can any longer, Mark.

I seriously don't think I can any more.

It's getting ridiculous. It's every year.

There's something every year, and I can't continue to do it.

It's too much for one person to deal with.

There's no help, no...

No help, no support, no respite. There's nothing.

I've got this 24 hours a day, seven days a week,

and I cannot continue for much longer.

It's too difficult.

Far too difficult for anyone.

That's a dreadful situation to be in.

It's dreadful for anybody.

I might just as well go home and shoot myself.

-'You don't mean that, do you?'

-Yes. Yeah, that's how I feel.

What's the point? What is the point in trying to carry on?

I don't know where to go.

I don't know where to go, and I can't continue like this.

Should kinship carers be capped?

Well, I think there are exemptions in place

for some carers, but there are also

Discretionary Housing Payments available

and the Flexible Support Fund, Personal Support Packages.

We have worked really hard

to make sure that those who are in most need

are supported by the government.

I think it's extraordinary that kinship carers are not exempt.

People who step in and look after their grandchildren

or other people's children ought to be helped.

They really shouldn't be the target of this policy.

It's been a week since Sarah moved into her new house.

She lost most of her possessions when she was evicted,

and is having to rely on hand-outs from friends.

Microwave, kettle, toaster. Got me a bed.

Just bits and bobs, like towels and...

Just some bits and bobs like that. That table that's in the front room.

Yeah, I didn't have nothing.

Obviously, brought me this rug down, brought me the TV stand down.

Erm, this room, I'm sleeping here at the minute.

Obviously, this is all that we've got.

But it's comfortable.

But Sarah's had to give up her baby again.

The house is unfit for a one-year-old.

This is Frankie's cot.

Still obviously need to make it all up properly and stuff like that.

And I've got the drapes to it and stuff.

But when she's coming back,

then, obviously, I'll make it up all proper.

I will.

I'll just wash them sheets and stuff like that.

Just put them on there ready for her to come back.

Sarah's trapped.

She can't get her benefits until her children move in,

but she can't buy the things her children need to live here

until she gets her benefits.

I need the kids to be here so, like, obviously, I can claim for them.

I'm stuck in this situation sort of thing cos, obviously,

I've clearly got nothing in the house or whatever.

Spoke to the council yesterday and obviously I've said, like,

my money's been suspended.

And she's saying to me, basically, like, obviously,

if I don't sort it ASAP, which there's nothing I can sort,

then I could lose this house again now,

and I've only had this house, like...

I've had it a week now. I got the keys a week ago.

Social services were supposed to be taking me to this place today

so I can go and get some bits and bobs -

curtains and bits and bobs like that, like kids' beds -

and, obviously, they've never phoned me

or texted me or anything like that to tell me they're not coming.

They've just not turned up.

-PHONE BUZZES

-Oh, Tariq there.

-While we're filming, the social worker calls.

-Tariq.

No, I'm not all right, actually. What happened today?

What happened to this morning?

But this is urgent, like, Tariq.

It needs, like, rushing off, sort of thing.

Obviously, I can't get my kids back here, can I,

till I've got my stuff in my house? So, why is it longing out?

Why are you longing it out, like, so bad?

Well, obviously, Tariq, it's flipping urgent, isn't it?

The quicker I get my stuff in my house,

the quicker I can get the kids back here.

He tells her they can't give her a lift.

Do you know what? I've got to put the fucking phone down

cos I'm going to go fucking mad!

Fucking arsehole twat!

Fucking arsehole twat.

-BANGING

-I don't even want this house!

Swear to God.

Sarah only moved in a week ago,

but is already at risk of losing her home.

She's not getting any housing benefit

and can't pay her rent.

The kids can't be here.

I can't buy nothing anyway for the house and stuff like that,

so what is the point?

That's why I get pissed off. That's why I get so mad.

Obviously, I've been wanting a house for so long

and, obviously, I've got one, but there's nothing what I can do.

There's nothing what I can do, like, to make it a house,

to make it a home for the family.

It's all because of this stupid benefit cap.

If it weren't for the benefit cap, then I would not be living like this

and my money wouldn't have been stopped,

my kids would have still been with me.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's why.

The benefit cap blows a massive hole in the safety net.

Parliament sets the rate

at which people are expected to live on benefits.

This policy picks on a random group of people and says,

"You will live below that level."

That doesn't make any sense at all.

If you want to think about saving money from benefits,

there's a more rational way to do it.

I think the benefit cap introduces fairness into the system.

It's really important that families who are working -

and, in many cases, four in ten families

will be bringing home a similar amount to the benefit cap -

it's really important that we have fairness for them

as well as a support mechanism for the most vulnerable.

So far, the benefit cap hasn't worked for our five families.

None of them are in a job.

Steve and Kim's Discretionary Housing Payment

has run out.

They're applying for more, but could lose their home.

Steve is still looking for work.

Maria has now been given a Discretionary Housing Payment

that will cover her rent arrears.

It should stop her being evicted for now.

She's not looking for work.

Colleen continues to campaign to get kinship carers spared the cap.

Bruce has more interviews lined up,

but has yet to find a job that can fit around his children.

Sarah still has her house,

but it remains unfurnished

and she still has no way of paying the rent.