Daily roundup 6 July: Benefits cap, Olympic legacy, and exams

Benefits will be capped at £20,000 for families living outside London, the Chancellor George Osborne has said. The Guardian reports that the move is part of £12bn in welfare savings that will be outlined in Wednesday’s budget. Benefits for families living in London will be capped at £23,000.


The opportunity for the London Olympics to inspire a generation of children has been squandered, former Olympics minister Tessa Jowell has said. The BBC reports that Jowell, who is seeking the Labour mayoral candidacy for London said fewer pupils are playing sport in school than in 2009.


Too much focus on exams is damaging pupils' mental health and self-esteem in schools, it has been claimed. The BBC reports that the majority of teachers questioned as part of a National Union of Teachers survey agreed that pupils become “very stressed or anxious” leading up to exams.


Three more people have been charged as part of an investigation into child sexual abuse in Rotherham. The Rotherham Star reports that offences involving the three suspects are alleged to have occurred between 1993 and 1995.


A social worker has avoided an immediate prison sentence after admitting having sex with a boy in her care. The Manchester Evening News reports that 42-year-old Claire McDonald, who was employed at a Tameside Council children’s home, was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years after admitting two charges of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.


A children's charity has called on government to ditch plans to cut tax credits for families. Barnardo's said the move, expected to form part of government plans to make £12bn in welfare savings will leave families with children struggling.