Has Ken Loach changed the government’s mind with I, Daniel Blake, the Big Issue questioned following the hard-hitting film’s release at the end of last month. As cinema audiences sobbed at the barefaced reality of the desperate situation you certainly would have thought so, but the latest figures are far less encouraging.
New research has found that the lowering of the benefit cap by as much as £6,000 a year from next week will throw some 300,000 children closer to homelessness, threatening hundreds of thousands of families.
Analysis by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) revealed that housing in many areas of the country could now be simply unaffordable to those in private rents. In more expensive areas, even social rented homes may out of reach too.
Twenty per cent of two children families will lose up to £25 a week in private rented accomodation, with more than ten per cent losing between £26 and £50 per week and eight per cent losing as much as £100 per week.
David Ayre, policy officer for the Children’s Society told The Huffington Post UK: “Disruption to family life as a consequence of this is massive.
“We see families moving to locations without roots and family just to keep up with living costs. That’s obviously a real problem.
“Stability for children that they’ve got a safe and warm home friends through school and education too.
“It has an impact on their feelings of self worth, on stress, anxiety, and depression.”