The Welfare Reform Bill plans to cap household benefits at £500 a week, but at its committee stage Kate Green, Labour MP for Stretford and Urmston, will argue that the measure could force more families to move to areas where rents are cheaper. This makes it harder for social workers to support families and to monitor the welfare of children.
Her amendment calling for an exemption is being backed by the charity Family Action.
The exemption would apply to families where children are subject to a child protection plan, children in need assessment or where there is a common assessment framework team around the child in place.
Helen Dent, chief executive of Family Action, said: "In our experience it will be even more difficult to work productively with vulnerable families and to bring them structure and stability if they are constantly on the move.
"We must be careful to stress that child protection concerns do not always coincide with poor families, but the coincidence is sufficient to be concerned that as a result of these reforms poorer boroughs with cheaper housing stocks will see an influx of more at risk families."
Green added: "The wellbeing of children must be our top priority but the benefit caps could mean that children at greatest risk of harm slip through the net."
