Tooting MP Sadiq Khan criticised the Government for making nearly 100 Wandsworth families homeless due to the benefits cap.

An annual housing resources and commitments report published by the council, which was due to be discussed at a meeting on Tuesday, June 9, said of the 626 private rented sector households where the cap was applied, 96 were admitted into temporary accommodated provided by the council because they could not afford the bills.

The cap, which was implemented in late 2014, means couples with or without children living with them and single parents whose children live with them can claim a maximum of £500 a week, while single adults who do not have children or whose children do not live with them can claim a maximum of £350.

Benefits including jobseekers allowance, housing benefit, child tax credit and incapacity benefit are all affected by the cap.

Mr Khan said it was "extremely worrying" to see families forced out of their homes because of the benefit cap.

He added: "I’m worried this is just the beginning of things to come as the new Tory government wants to reduce the cap even further. Reducing the cap to £23,000 in London will push more families into poverty and out of their homes. That isn’t a solution. It will only make the problem worse."

The MP said the only way to solve the problem would be to tackle why people relied on benefits to make ends meet, to build more affordable and social housing and set fair rents.

He added: "We also need to make work pay, with a living wage.

"And we must always ensure that there’s a safety net for vulnerable people who need it most. These are the actions that will make a real difference to the lives of the people in our borough."

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said the benefit cap, while restoring "fairness to the system", provided a "clear incentive" for people to get into work.

The spokesman added: "Even with the cap, households can still currently receive the equivalent of a £34,000 salary in benefits and we have provided local authorities with around £500m to support those families who might need extra help."