The benefit cap is a limit to the total amount of benefit working age people can receive, set by central government.
Find out if the benefit cap affects you.
The benefit cap can affect:
- Universal Credit,
- Bereavement Allowance,
- Child Benefit,
- Child Tax Credit,
- Employment and Support Allowance,
- Housing Benefit,
- Incapacity Benefit,
- Income Support,
- Jobseeker’s Allowance,
- Maternity Allowance,
- Severe Disablement Allowance, and
- Widowed Parent’s Allowance (or Widowed Mother’s Allowance or Widow’s Pension if you started getting it before 9 April 2001).
The benefit cap will usually not affect you if you are over State Pension age. You can
check your State Pension age on the GOV.UK website.
Please note that if you are in a couple and either you or your partner are under State Pension age, the cap may affect you.
You will not be affected by the cap if you or your partner get:
- Working Tax Credit (even if the ‘amount’ you get is £0),
- Universal Credit because of a disability or health condition that stops you from working (this is called ‘limited capability for work and work-related activity’),
- Universal Credit because you care for someone with a disability, or
- Universal Credit and you both earn £793 or more (combined) per month, after tax and National Insurance contributions.
You will also not be affected if you, your partner, or any children under 18 living with you already get help through:
- Adult Disability Payment (ADP),
- Armed Forces Compensation Scheme,
- Armed Forces Independence Payment,
- Attendance Allowance,
- Carer’s Allowance,
- Carer Support Payment,
- Child Disability Payment,
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA),
- Employment and Support Allowance (if you get the support component),
- Guardian’s Allowance,
- Industrial Injuries Benefits (and equivalent payments as part of a War Disablement Pension or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme),
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP),
- War pensions, or
- War Widow's or War Widower's Pension.
What is the limit?
See the total amount of benefit you can get.
Benefit cap outside Greater London
If you are in a couple
| £423.46
| £1,835
|
If you are a single parent and your children live with you
| £423.46
| £1,835
|
If you are a single adult
| £283.71
| £1,229.42
|
Please note that if you already get Child Tax Credit, you can no longer make a new claim for Working Tax Credit. You can still add Working Tax Credit to an existing child tax credit claim.
What can I do now?
Find out which steps to take next.
Visit your local Hub
At our
Hubs, we can help you:
If you get Universal Credit
If you get Universal Credit, you can
contact DWP directly, or through the journal in
your online account.
If you get any other benefits
If you do not get Universal Credit but get other benefits, you can call the benefit cap helpline on 0800 169 0145.