THOUSANDS of Welsh households will struggle to pay their rent and risk eviction if local caps on housing benefit are introduced, Llanelli's MP has claimed.

MP Nia Griffith said: "Government ministers are living in cloud cuckoo land if they think that by cutting back on the money families receive to cover their current rent, private landlords will miraculously lower their rents."

The first change, upping the age at which single people are entitled to housing benefit for anything other than shared accommodation from 25 to 34, came into effect in January.

Other changes coming in over the next couple of years include a cap on payments from April 1.

The Government says the changes it is introducing will restore fairness to the welfare system.