The number of families hit by the benefit cap in Swindon surged during the coronavirus crisis, figures show.

The 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 & Pensions figures show 462 households had their benefits capped in Swindon in May.

This was ​more than double the number in February, when there were 221 families who had either their housing benefit or Universal Credit payment reduced.

The cap limits how much households can receive in total benefits, and currently kicks in at £20,000 per year for families in Swindon and most of the UK, but £23,000 for those in London.

The number of families capped across Great Britain rose to 154,000 over the period – an increase of 93%.

The DWP said the rise, which was the biggest since the policy was launched in 2013, was “driven by an unprecedented increase of 665% in the number of newly Universal Credit-capped households, a reflection of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic”.