Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
Labour has moved to support the Government's plan to reduce the benefit cap to £23,000, according to a statement by interim leader Harriet Harman.
Responding to the Queen's Speech in parliament today Ms Harman said her party was "sympathetic" to cutting the maximum amount a family can be paid in benefits by £3,000 but outlined several caveats.
In other news:
• What's in the Queen's speech and how Tory will it be?
• Radical agenda to reform taxation and welfare
• Government delays HRA repeal amid opposition
Please wait a moment while the liveblog loads
"We support a cap on household benefit entitlement. The government are now planning to reduce it and we are sympathetic to that but it makes it even more important that the jobs are there for people to move into, the childcare is there, particularly for loan parents and there are adequate funds for discretionary housing payments," she said.
"All that is necessary to make sure that this doesn’t put children into poverty, increase homelessness, or eve up costing more than it saves."
Labour previously said it supported a cap but would set up a general commission to look at whether the cap would be lower in some areas.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments