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Benefit Cap

There is a limit on the total amount of benefit payments that people aged 16 to 64 can receive. This is called the benefit cap.

How much you receive may go down if the total amount you are entitled to is greater than the benefit cap. 

You are not affected by the cap if you or your partner work, and either of the following apply:

  • you or your partner are eligible for Working Tax Credit
  • you or your partner get Universal Credit, and your household income is more than £430 a month after tax and National Insurance

You can find more information on this from our Frequently Asked Questions below. 

Frequently asked questions

How much is the cap?

The total amount of benefit you received will be capped at:

  • £384.62 per week (£20,000 a year) if you’re in a couple, whether your children live with you or not
  • £384.62 per week (£20,000 a year) if you’re single and your children live with you
  • £257.69 per week (£13,400 a year) if you’re single and you don’t have children, or your children don’t live with you

Which benefits are affected by the cap?

The cap applies to the total amount of benefits received in your household (you, your partner and any children living with you) from the following benefits:

  • Bereavement Allowance
  • Child Benefit
  • Child Tax Credit
  • Employment and Support Allowance (unless you get the ‘support’ component)
  • Housing Benefit
  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Income Support
  • Jobseeker’s Allowance
  • Maternity Allowance
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Widowed Parent’s Allowance (or Widowed Mother’s Allowance or Widows Pension if you started getting it before 9 April 2001)
  • Universal Credit (unless you’ve had a work capability assessment and aren’t fit for work)

The following benefits are not included in the caluculation:

  • Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Carer’s Allowance
  • 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)
  • Universal Credit payments towards carer’s costs or for ‘limited capability for work and work-related activity’
  • War pensions
  • War Widow’s or War Widower’s Pension

How can I work out how much I will receive?

You can use the Government's Benefit Cap Calculator to work out how much benefit you will receive by clicking here. 

I've got further concerns or questions about this. Who can I speak to?

You can contact the Department for Work and Pensions directly with questions about the benefit cap. Contact details can be found on this page. Please note that call charges may apply.

You can also contact your Income Officer about this. Their contact details can be found here.