THE number of families hit by the benefit cap in Clackmannanshire has risen during the coronavirus crisis, figures show.

The UK Government has ignored calls from charities to suspend the cap, while acknowledging that the pandemic had caused a record rise in the number of households affected across Great Britain.

Department for Work and Pensions figures show 90 households had their benefits capped in Clackmannanshire in May.

This was a rise of 30 on the number capped in February, when there were 60 families who had either their housing benefit or Universal Credit payment reduced.

Of those now affected by the cap in Clackmannanshire, 76 per cent (68) are single parents – compared to 62 per cent across Britain.

The cap limits how much households can receive in total benefits, and currently kicks in at £20,000 per year for families in Clackmannanshire.

Across Britain, the number of families capped rose to 154,000 over the period – an increase of 93 per cent.

In Scotland, the number of families hit by the cap rose to 6,034 in May, compared to 3,428 in February – an increase of 76 per cent.

According to the DWP the rise, which was the biggest since the policy was launched in 2013, was "driven by an unprecedented increase of 665 per cent in the number of newly Universal Credit-capped households, a reflection of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic".

The UK government has decided to increase the weekly Universal Credit payment by £20 a week between April 2020 and March 2021 due to the pandemic, but Work and Pensions secretary Therese Coffey said last month there are "no plans" to make any changes to the benefit cap system for the same duration.

Alison Watson, Shelter Scotland director, said: "With thousands of people losing work as a result of the pandemic, leaders across the UK should be focused on protecting families' incomes and keeping them in their homes.

"But, instead, the benefit cap is forcing families into poverty and hardship at the worst possible time.

"By increasing funding for crisis grants, the Scottish Government has gone some way to plug the gap in household budgets. But this problem needs to be tackled at source. The UK Government must scrap the cap."

A DWP spokesman said: "The benefit cap ensures fairness for hard-working taxpaying households and a strong work incentive whilst providing a much-needed safety net of support.

"We remain committed to helping the most vulnerable in society, which is why we currently spend more than £95billion a year on the benefits system, supporting more than seven million people."