The Benefit Cap
Last updated: 06/04/2023
The Benefit Cap is a limit on the total amount of benefits you can be paid each year. If the benefits you get add up to more than the Benefit Cap you will not be paid the full amount.
How much is the Benefit Cap?
The Benefit Cap is £20,020 per annum (£1,835 per month) for a couple or single parent household and £14,753 per annum (£1,229.42 per month) 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
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.
People not affected by the Benefit Cap
You will not be affected by the Benefit Cap if:
- You are over pension age
- Your earnings from employment are above £722 per month. (If you lose your job, but have earned above £722 in the previous 12 months, the cap will not affect you for the next 9 months.)
- You receive Carer’s Allowance, the carer’s element in Universal Credit or have an underlying entitlement to them,
- You, or any children in your family under 18, get War Widow or Widowers’ Pension, Disability Living Allowance, Child Disability Payment, Personal Independence Payment, Attendance Allowance, Industrial Injuries Benefits, Guardian’s Allowance, the support component of Employment and Support Allowance or the limited capability for work- and work-related activity element of Universal Credit. You are also not affected if you are in the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme or get the Armed Forces Independence Payment.
For more information visit Benefit Cap
