Benefit cap
The benefit cap is a limit on the amount of money your household can get from benefits.
The benefit cap applies to people who are old enough to work, and might mean that the total amount that your benefits add up to has to be lowered slightly to make sure it doesn’t go over the cap. This might make it harder to keep on top of your rent or pay for other important things.
If you get housing benefit and are going to be affected by the limit, your local authority should have already let you know that your benefit money will be going down. If you’re receiving Universal Credit then the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should’ve been in touch with you. The benefit cap amounts vary depending on your circumstances.
Get help from our financial support team
Our advisors are trained to give free, one to one support, if you're worried about money. If you're struggling to pay your rent, looking for benefits support or help with budgeting then give us a call. They can even help you find free clothing and interview coaching.
Benefit cap FAQs
What benefits are included in the benefit cap?
The good news is that these changes shouldn’t affect a lot of our customers. But if you have been affected, the amount will probably be taken from your housing benefit or the housing part of your Universal Credit, which means you’ll need to pay your full rent and any service charges using your other benefits.
You might be affected by the benefit cap if you claim:
- Bereavement Allowance
- Child benefit
- Child Tax Credit
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Housing benefit
- Incapacity benefit
- Income support
- Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Maternity Allowance
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Widowed Parent’s Allowance (or Widowed Mother’s Allowance or Widow’s Pension if you started getting it before 9 April 2001)
Who is not affected by the benefit cap?
You might be exempt from the benefit cap if you:
- Are over state pension age (currently aged 65)
- Get working tax credit (even if the amount you get is £0)
- Get Universal Credit because you have a disability or health problem that means you can’t work
- Get Universal Credit because you care for someone else with a disability
- Get Universal Credit and you and your partner earn over £569 a month together, after tax and National Insurance contributions
If you or anyone living in your home is getting money from:
- Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer’s Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Guardian’s Allowance
- Industrial injuries benefits
- Personal Independence Payment
- War pensions
- War widow or widower’s pension
How can I get more advice about the benefit cap?
If you’re still not sure how the benefit cap could affect you, and would like to speak to someone, there’s lots of free support and advice out there; you could see if there’s a local advice agency near you or speak with Citizens Advice for more info.
- Money, benefits and wellbeing advice home
- Energy saving tips
- Eating on a budget
- Financial support team
- Wellbeing advice
- Debt support
- Domestic abuse
- Bedroom tax
- Benefit cap
- Benefit calculator
- Budgeting tool
- Entitled to fair processing notice
- Help with your energy bills
- Housing Benefit
- Legal advice
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Redundancy support
- Savings and discount schemes
- State Pension age benefits
- Universal Credit
- Universal Credit: updating rent and service charges
- Utility bill support
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Talk to our financial inclusion team
Our team are trained to give free, one to one support, if you're worried about money. If you're struggling to pay your rent, looking for benefits support or help with budgeting then give us a call. They can even help you find free clothing and interview coaching.