Benefit cap

There’s a limit on the total amount of benefit that most working age people can get. This is called the benefit cap.

Read more about the benefit cap on the GOV.UK website.

If you're affected by the cap, your Housing Benefit goes down to make sure the total amount of benefit you get isn't more than the cap level.

How much is the benefit cap?

• £423.46 a week (£22,020 a year) for couples
• £423.46 a week (£22,020 a year) for single parents whose children live with them
• £283.71 a week (£14,753 a year) for single adults who don't have children, or whose children don't live with them.

Who isn't affected? 

You’re not affected by the cap if you:

• are over State Pension age. If you’re part of a couple and one of you is under State Pension age, the cap may apply
• get Universal Credit and you and your partner earn more than £846 a month combined, after tax and National Insurance
• get Universal Credit because of a disability or condition that stops you from working (this is called ‘limited capability for work and work-related activity’)
• get Universal Credit because you care for someone with a disability

You’re also not affected by the benefit cap if you, your partner or any child under 18 living with you gets:

• 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)
• Pension Age Disability Payment
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA)
• War pensions
• War Widow’s or War Widower’s Pension

If you are affected, the benefit cap might not affect your payments for up to 9 months. This is called the ‘grace period’. Read more about the benefit cap grace period on GOV.UK.

Example

A family has a weekly income from benefits of £453.46, including £100 Housing Benefit. This means their income is £30 above the cap amount, which is £423.46 for them. Their Housing Benefit reduces by £30 (from £100 to £70) to bring their total income down to the £423.46 limit. They have £30 more rent to pay and will need to use £30 from their other benefits for this.

Read more about the benefit cap on the GOV.UK website.