The government introduced a cap on the total amount of benefit that working-age households can get so that, broadly, households on out-of-work benefits will no longer get more in welfare payments than the average weekly wage for working households.
The benefit cap applied from 15 April 2013 in Bromley, Croydon, Enfield and Haringey local authorities. Remaining local authorities are applying the cap between 15 July 2013 and the end of September.