Benefit Cap - How much is the Benefit Cap?

The current cap is:

• £486.98 per week (£2,110.25 per month or £25,323 per year) for couples and lone parents in Greater London
• £423.46 per week (£ 1,835 per month or £22,020 per year) for couples and lone parents outside Greater London
• £326.29 per week (£1,413.92 per month or £16,967 per year) for single adults in Greater London
• £283.71 per week (£1,229.42 per month or £14,753 per year) for single adults outside Greater London.

Which benefits are included in the Benefit Cap?

To work out if you are within the Benefit Cap, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) adds together the amount you have been awarded of the following benefits:

• Child Benefit
• Child Tax Credit
• Employment and Support Allowance (except when in the Support Group)
• Housing Benefit (except for households in Supported Exempt Accommodation)
• Incapacity Benefit
• Income Support
• Jobseeker's Allowance
• Maternity Allowance
• Reduced Earnings Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Universal Credit (except the Childcare Costs element)
• Widowed Parent's Allowance, Widowed Mother's Allowance, Widow's Pension.

Any benefits not listed above are not included in the cap.

How is the Benefit Cap applied?

If your total entitlement of the benefits included in the cap is more than the Benefit Cap amount, and the Benefit Cap applies to you, your benefits will be reduced to bring you within the cap amount. 

If you are claiming Housing Benefit, the amount of Housing Benefit that you receive each week will be reduced to the cap amount.

If you are claiming Universal Credit, the amount of Universal Credit that you receive each month will be reduced to the cap amount (except for the Childcare Costs element). If you are entitled to the Childcare Costs element of Universal Credit, this amount is protected and will not be reduced even if this means you receive more than the Benefit Cap amount.