MORE than 100 Bolton families have had their housing benefit cut to just 50p — the second highest proportion in the country.

Newly released figures show that 29 per cent of benefit-capped households in the borough, 107 out of 372, are now given just 50p per week to help cover their accommodation costs.

Last year, the Government introduced a £20,000 cap on the amount of benefit payments a household can claim. The Child Poverty Action Group says the cap is “completely arbitrary” and targets many people who are not in a position to work.

Bolton Conservative leader, Cllr David Greenhalgh, said: “We must remember, these families are in receipt of benefits totalling £20,000.

“A government has to create a balance where those in genuine need are looked after, but also that work pays.

“There are many men and women out there, some of them doing multiple jobs, working all hours, who don’t take home £20,000.

“We all know under Labour the benefits bill spiralled out of control, where even they acknowledged something had to be done, where whole generations were making a life choice to remain on benefits rather than seek work.

“These are tough decisions, but the principle behind a benefits cap is correct.”

Only North Hertfordshire reported a higher proportion affected by the 50p cap, 30 per cent, than Bolton, according to the figures released by the BBC’s Panorama show.

The nominal housing benefit amount is awarded so that affected families can still claim access to an emergency fund.

Lib Dem leader, Cllr Roger Hayes, said: “I can see the argument for a benefits cap, but I think the changes have been made too quickly. We have to get control of benefits, but changes have to be made sensitively to make sure they do not cause unnecessary hardship.”

Bolton UKIP leader Sean Hornby added that the cap penalised some of the poorest people and that the Government was “making cuts in the wrong areas”.