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Thousands of families face being made homeless as the new Tory benefit cap comes into force today.

The total amount of benefits a household can receive will be cut from £26,000 to £20,000, or £23,000 in London.

Work and Pensions Secretary Damian Green says: "I think people recognise there’s something wrong about families able to get more on benefits than the average family can earn by going out to work."

But worried charities, unions and campaigners say 112,000 families - including 42,000 single parents - will lose up to £115 a week each.

Billions of pounds in welfare is housing benefit, so the 'recipients' never see it as cash. Instead it goes straight to landlords, some of them reaping a property boom.

Prime Minister Theresa May has been accused of punishing hundreds of thousands of children for their parents' lives.

Rehana Azam, the national secretary of the GMB union, said: "She is unleashing a monstrous new assault on 40,000 single mothers, which risks shattering the life chances of children up and down our country.”

So who are the people behind these statistics? And what do they think?

Last week we asked our readers to send in their experiences of the benefit cap.

The majority of replies we received happened to be from single mums.

Some told us of children with many needs, partners who walked out, and the desire to get a job - but being trapped by the pressures of parenthood.

Here are three desperate cases that were sent to us. If you're affected, you can find out more about the cap here.

1. "I will be homeless for Christmas"

"I am a single parent of five children, four of which are under 10 - my youngest being seven months old.

"I will be left homeless for Christmas.

"I received a letter saying that I will have to pay between £150 and £200 out of my benefit each week towards my rent.

(Image: Toni Ramsden)

"Even if it is £115 a week [the maximum possible under the new cap] I would still struggle.

"I am in a private rented property and the rent is £184 a week."

Toni (above) says she had to pay £8.75 a month more when the first benefit cap came in, but her landlady waived that.

"As I have to pay this I will be left with hardy anything to feed my children, or pay my gas or electric and other bills.

"The fact this all comes into play right before Christmas, which my children will have with nothing, means it's a cruel step from the government.

"My third-eldest son is getting assessed for autism and I have to be literally on-call at home all the time.

(Image: Getty)

"I do want to work, don't get me wrong, just for my own sanity, but I can't with the way he is in school, and my baby is seven months old."

Toni, 38, from Leeds and now living in Aberdeenshire, said she worked in bars and stables, but has not worked for around 10 years.

"I think everyone has the assumption that because you are getting benefits you've got loads of money. It's just not the case."

Toni Ramsden

2. "I have no idea how I'm going to manage"

"I'm a single parent of 4 children aged from 16 to 20 months and in receipt of universal credit.

"I have been informed that my money will be cut by £300 a month, and I need to find a job ASAP.

"Trying to find part time work is near impossible, with a lot of part time work doing weekends or nights which I am unable to do.

"My second child has health issues and is unable to be left alone at any time as she exercises when I'm not there and she's not allowed to walk to and from school.

"I have to take her and pick her up as well as take her to all her appointments.

(Image: Getty)

"I totally get why the benefits cap is coming into place, as it is not fair that two-parent families who work full-time are getting less than some on who are on benefits.

"Some do milk the system for all it's worth.

"But when you have someone like myself who really wants to work and provide for my children, but I can't, the pressure on me is immense and so stressful.

"I have no idea how I'm going to manage especially a month before Christmas.

"I feel that more families will turn to pay day loans and get more in debt than ever before."

Emma

(Image: Getty Images)

3. "I'm scared for my kids"

"I'm one of those really affected by the new benefit cap.

"I privately rent a three-bed semi for myself and my four kids aged four, six, eight and nine.

"My kids already share bedrooms and now I've found out I will have a £150-a-week shortfall on my rent.

"That's 600 every four weeks. At present I get child benefit, child tax credit, income support, housing benefit and council tax reduction.

"From today I will lose £150 a week rent and have to find that myself out of £345 a week.

"I was paying £85 a month towards my rent but now I will have to pay £600.

"I am desperately looking for work, but as a single mum with four kids it's really hard finding work to fit in to school hours.

(Image: Getty)

"I'm not from Leeds, where I live, so have no family to help with childcare.

"My kids' dad hasn't seen his kids for over a year now since we split up.

"I'm beside myself with worry about how on earth I'm expected to feed and clothe my kids, pay my rent, bills and council tax with £345 a week when over half of that is for my rent now.

"I know I will be evicted because there's no way I can afford to stay here.

"The council haven't any three-bed properties available and my landlord won't lower the rent at all.

"I've looked for other privately-rented homes but they're all well out of my price range, and if they're not they will only take people working.

"I'm a nervous wreck and it's all getting too much for me to cope with. The truth is I am scared for my kids."

Kendra