Menu

The Benefit Cap

Last updated: 02/04/2025

The Benefit Cap is a limit on the total amount of benefits you can be paid each year. This cap is set by the UK government. If the benefits you get add up to more than the Benefit Cap, you will not be paid the full amount. In Scotland the Scottish Government have a mitigation policy which is there to remove the impact of the cap.

How will the amount over the Benefit Cap be deducted?

All the benefits you are getting, that affect the cap, will be added together and any amount over the benefit cap will be deducted from your Universal Credit.

How much is the Benefit Cap?

The Benefit Cap is £22,020 per annum (£423.46 per week) for a couple or single parent household and £14,753 per annum (£283.71) for single people.

Benefits included in the cap are:

  • Bereavement Allowance
  • Child Benefit
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Employment and Support Allowance
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Maternity Allowance
  • Universal Credit
  • Widowed Parent’s Allowance
  • Housing benefit
  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Income Support
  • Severe Disablement Allowance

Where can I find out if I qualify for help?

You can get in touch with us on our channels and we can give advice and information and explain how to apply for support, one of our advisers can be contacted here.

What can I do if I am affected by the UK Government DWP Benefit Cap?

If you are affected by the benefit cap, you can apply to your local council for a Discretionary Housing Payment to help make up for the money you lose due to the cap.

If you are affected by the benefits cap and in need of help, contact DWP through:

People not affected by the Benefit Cap

You are not affected by the cap if you:

  • get Working Tax Credit (even if the amount you receive is £0)
  • get Universal Credit because of a disability or health condition that stops you from working
  • get Universal Credit because you care for someone who has a disability
  • get Universal Credit and you and your partner have combined earnings of £793 or more a month, after tax and National Insurance contributions

You’re not affected by the cap if you or any children under 18 who live with you get:

  • 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 receive the support component)
  • Guardian’s Allowance
  • Industrial Injuries Benefits (also equivalent payments as part of a War Disablement Pension or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme)
  • Pension Age Disability Payment
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • War pensions
  • War Widow’s or War Widower’s Pension

For more information visit Benefit Cap.

Previous
How much is Universal Credit?

Back
Universal Credit

Next
How do I apply for Universal Credit?

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

View Privacy policy

Covering your tracks

You may not want other people to know that you’ve been searching for information or help from OPFS.

When browsing the internet whether on a mobile phone, tablet or computer, you leave a ‘history’ trail of pages and sites you’ve visited.

It’s impossible to completely avoid being tracked online but if you’re worried about someone knowing which sites you’ve been looking at, there are some things you can do to help cover your tracks.

If you’re using a laptop or desktop computer, try keeping another document or website open in a new tab or window while browsing. If someone comes in the room and you don’t want them to see what you’re looking at, you can quickly switch to another window or tab.

Deleting browsing history

You can delete the history of websites you’ve visited, but it’s important to know that if you delete your browsing history, someone else using the same device may notice.

If you share a tablet, mobile phone, laptop or computer with someone, they might notice that passwords or website addresses have disappeared from their history.

Find out how to remove your browsing history and other data from some of the most commonly used browsers:

Browsing in Private mode (incognito)

When browsing ‘incognito’, the internet browser won’t store cookies or record your browsing history on the computer, mobile or tablet.

This option is available on popular web browsers i.e. -

Toolbars

If you use a search toolbar in your web browser, remember that your searched items can be saved as part of your history. Find out how to delete your searched items from the following search engines: