SINGLE parents and their children took their fight against the universal credit benefit cap to the Supreme Court today.

Judges heard from three lone unemployed parents their challenge to Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey over the legality of the cap, which reduces their maximum weekly benefit income from £500 to £384.62.

It was argued by their legal representatives that they are entitled to exemption from the cap due to their particular circumstances, given that fulfilling their childcare responsibilities was incompatible with taking up gainful employment.

The judges also heard cases brought by two lone mothers and their children over the financial damage they have suffered following the lowering of the cap.

The women, who have found it impossible to land a job, have children of various ages.

One mother with four children lost a benefits entitlement of £80 a week, while a mother of five – of which three have significant health needs – lost £110 a week due to the cap.

Additional challenges related to the lawfulness of cuts to benefits for all lone-parent families, not just those with children under the age of two, were also heard.

The proceedings, which conclude tomorrow, are the latest legal battle over the government’s widely criticised benefits reform known as universal credit.

Last year,  a High Court judgement condemned the “real misery” caused by benefits cuts, concluding that the Tory benefits reforms unlawfully discriminate against lone parents with children under two.

However, the government managed to get that decision overturned by the Court of Appeal.

In this latest case, the Supreme Court will be ruling on whether the revised government benefits cap breaches human rights laws on a variety of grounds related to discrimination.

Commenting on the appeal, judge Sir Brian Leveson said: “It was open to the Secretary of State to take the view that difficulties faced by lone parents with children under two were not such as sufficiently to distinguish that cohort from lone parents with older children, thereby warranting exemption in their case.”

Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said: “This appeal offers a glimmer of hope for the thousands of single-parent families suffering because of the brutal benefit cap.”