The 4,000 jobless singletons raking in benefits worth £23k: Scroungers will have handouts cut because they get more than many workers More than 4,000 jobless single people without children who are living "on easy street" are to have their benefits cut because they get more in welfare payments than many of those in work. Under the Government's benefits cap, they will see their state handouts capped at £350 a week, or £18,200 a year. That means 4,000 people without jobs or families have been living on a benefits package worth more than the equivalent of earning £23,000 a year before tax. More than 4,000 jobless single people without children who are living 'on easy street' are to have their benefits cut because they get more in welfare payments than many of those in work (stock picture) In an article for the Daily Mail, Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith vows to end what he calls these "out of control" claims. His pledge comes as the final stage of the nationwide roll-out of the benefits cap begins today. "For those eyeballing benefits as a one-way ticket to easy street, I have a wake-up call for you: those days are over," he writes. We see that across the country there are 4,000 single people making more in benefits than many individual people would earn from work. This is not right, not fair and by the end of September these people will come under the cap. Figures reveal the full extent of welfare dependency in Britain. The Department for Work and Pensions has already said that about 40,000 households will be affected this year by the benefits cap, which limits the amount couples and lone parents can receive in benefits to £500 a week, or £26,000 a year. But it has never before revealed that one in ten of those affected will be single people who will be hit by a £350 cap that applies to those without families. DWP officials say that the benefits cap as a whole will save £300million a year and those affected will see their benefits cut by an average of £93 a week. Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith vows to end what he calls these 'out of control' claims Figures are not yet available for how much the benefits cap on single people will save the taxpayer, but it may be up to £30million a year. Around 60 single people without children have had their benefits capped at £350 a week in the four London boroughs where the cap started in April. They would have received benefits costing more than £1.1million a year. Officials say the cost of paying benefits to single people is high because many of them are "in temporary accommodation where rents can be higher." The cap affects most benefits paid to those out of work, including jobseekers" allowance, incapacity benefit, employment and support allowance, income support and housing benefit. But those on working tax credits are exempt. The final phase of the nationwide roll-out will see the benefits cap introduced in most of the major cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Leeds and Liverpool plus the remaining London boroughs. Polls have consistently found that the benefits cap is popular with voters. One YouGov survey earlier this year showed that 76 per cent of the public backs the cap, including 69 per cent of Labour voters. Claims by the DWP that the benefits cap is driving people to look for work have proved controversial. But Mr Duncan Smith argues that it is encouraging those facing cuts in welfare to get jobs. "The cap actively encourages people into work by exempting those claiming working tax credits," he writes. Mr Duncan Smith also challenges Labour to endorse the cap. In June Ed Miliband unveiled a plan to cap "structural" welfare spending - those handouts not affected by an economic downturn - for three years if Labour wins the next election. But the Labour leader has refused to name a single benefit he would cut. Labour has also refused to back the Government's benefits cap or the Coalition's decision to limit benefits rises to 1 per cent. Mr Duncan Smith accused Mr Miliband of having "directed his Welfare Party to vote against £83billion worth of savings I have made." Councils could be forced to cut spending on roads and care for the elderly in order to support households losing out through the Government's welfare reforms, town hall chiefs warned last night. A study commissioned by the Local Government Association estimates that less than a quarter of the 1.18million English workless households affected by housing benefit cuts would be able to reduce the impact by moving to a cheaper property or finding a job. Councils could be forced to pay out to support them, leaving them with less money for other priorities.