The boroughs – along with Croydon and Bromley – are pilot areas, chosen by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) because it has “the highest percentage of potential benefit cap claimants and a diverse cross-section of residents”.

The benefits cap comes into force on Monday. Find details here of the benefits affected, exemptions and where you can go for advice.

Benefits included in the cap:

*Bereavement Allowance

*Carers’ Allowance

*Child Benefit

*Child Tax Credit

*Employment and Support Allowance (except where the support component is included)

*Guardians’ Allowance

*Housing Benefit

*Incapacity Benefit

*Income Support

*Jobseekers’ Allowance

*Maternity Allowance

*Severe Disablement Allowance

*Widowed Parent’s Allowance

*Widowed Mother’s Allowance

*Widow’s Pension

Who will be exempt from the cap?

The cap will not apply if you work enough hours to qualify for Working Tax Credit (even if you do not receive it).

Nor will it apply if you or a member of your household gets any of the following:

* Disability Living Allowance

* Attendance Allowance

* Personal Independence Payment

* Employment & Support Allowance Support component.

* Industrial Injuries Benefits

* Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Payments

* War Pension Scheme Payments

The cap will also not apply to you for up to 39 weeks if you have previously been employed for one year or more and you lose your job through no fault of your own.

There may be other exemptions, so seek advice.

What can you do?

Call the Citizens’ Advice Bureau on 020 8347 3119 to get advice on a range of issues, including:

* Whether you will be affected by the cap and what you can do

* Checking whether your housing benefit reduction is correct

* What else you may be entitled to

* How you can budget