THE reduced Overall Benefit Cap which comes into effect on November 7 will hit nearly 500 Wirral families, according to recent DWP figures release by the council.

Each family affected has three or more children, and each has received a letter from the council telling them how much housing benefit they will lose – an average of £60 a week.

This is three times as much as the near 3,000 Wirral households who still have to pay the appalling bedroom tax.

Eighty per cent of those affected are single parents whose work opportunities are very limited – they would have to work at least 16 hours a week to be exempt.

Taken together these families have 1,690 children – enough to populate two schools.

But they will face eviction over the winter months because of mounting rent arrears – the Wirral discretionary housing payment budget will be completely inadequate to make up the shortfall.

The measure is designed to punish poor families and their children for the crime of being poor.

Wirral Campaign against the Bedroom Tax is holding a public meeting on Monday, October 31, at 7pm in the Wirral Methodist Centre on Claughton Road where we want to get together with as many of these families as possible to fight a measure which will be a social catastrophe.

Robert Claridge, Wirral Campaign against the Bedroom Tax