By Steph Brawn and Tommy Lumby

THE number of Inverclyde families hit by the benefit cap during the pandemic rocketed by 53 per cent.

According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), almost 100 households had the amount they received limited in August last year, compared to just over 60 in February 2020.

The stats have led to calls for the policy to be urgently scrapped.

The benefit cap is £20,000 a year, or £13,400 for single adults with no children.

Affected households in Inverclyde on universal credit had their benefits capped by an average of £49 per week.

The cap was introduced in 2013 and restricts the amount of financial help most working-age people can get.

Of those affected in August, 70 were single-parent households and a further 31 were couples with children.

Almost 300 kids were part of families hit by the cap, although the real number may be higher as exact figures for larger families are not available.

Inverclyde MP Ronnie Cowan wants to see the UK Government get rid of the cap.

He said: “Life on benefits is never easy and the knock-on effects of the pandemic have resulted in many more individuals and families having to rely on them.

“It means the benefit cap will also impact on a greater number of people and that is why now is a perfect time to scrap the cap.

“The UK has the highest poverty rate of any country in north-west Europe, with 11.7 per cent of people living in relative poverty.

“To start addressing this the UK Government should abolish the benefits cap and match the Scottish Government’s game-changing Scottish Child Payment.

“Poverty is a scourge on our society and the UK Government should be working to lift people out of it.”

The DWP says the benefit cap 'ensures fairness for hard-working taxpaying households and a strong work incentive while also providing a much-needed safety net of support'.

Their spokesman added: “We are supporting people into work, to progress and earn more.

“Returning to employment will significantly increase the likelihood of a household not being affected by the cap.”