Wandsworth Council has voted to remove hardship payments available to some people who cannot afford to pay their rent.

On February 21, the council’s Financial Committee voted to remove the payments- emergency financial aid for struggling residents- from childless people.

This comes after a succession of welfare cuts under the Conservative Government.

Recently the Welfare Reform Act 2016 introduced a cap on the weekly amount a household can receive.

Since November 2016, for those living in London, the maximum weekly benefit a household can receive was reduced from £500 to £442.31 for households with children and from £350 to £296.35 for childless single people- £15,410 a year.

As a result, the number of households affected by the benefit cap has doubled from 249 to 498.

Councillor Simon Hogg, Wandsworth Labour leader, said: “Wandsworth’s Tory council is pulling away the safety net just as families need it the most.

“This is such a cruel and foolish decision.

“For dozens of our most vulnerable local households, this support is the only thing saving them from homelessness.”

According to councillor Peter Carpenter, Labour’s Speaker on Finance said the policies make “no financial sense”.

He said: “The lowering of the benefit cap is meant to save £350,000, however it is clear that it will result in more people, up to 144 in Wandsworth, presenting as homeless.

“Accommodating 144 homeless households is going to cost the council a lot more than the £350,000 it proposes to save”.

“Moreover, in each of the previous two years the council underspent the budget is has to help these households by far more than this amount so there’s no financial need to change the policy.”

Case study:

Tooting resident Nigel McCann was hit by the benefit cap last year.

Nigel currently gets the maximum weekly entitlement for a single person (£296.35) plus £30 per week in hardship payments, which leaves him £73 per week.

As long as Nigel does not use his heating, he estimates he can survive on £50 per week for food and water and £20 per week for energy costs.

He spends £1.75 per week on bus fares to attend the Job Centre and the same to attend his work programme.

Nigel said: “If the £30 hardship payment I currently receive to help me pay my rent is removed, that will leave me with £43.10 per week – roughly half of what I need just to survive.

“If these cuts go ahead there will be people who have to sacrifice medical care and vital mental health care support because they have no money for the bus.

“They won’t even be able to afford to look for work”.

A spokesperson for Wandsworth Council said: “In response to the Government’s latest round of welfare reforms, the council will be administering a £1.2m discretionary housing fund which will be used to provide targeted financial help to the borough’s most vulnerable families with children who need additional support.

“Childless households will still be able to apply for and receive support but this will be subject to a case by case review.

“These changes will not affect pensioners nor those in receipt of long term disability and caring benefits.”