Benefit Cap
There is a limit on the total amount of benefit that most people aged 16 to 64 can get. This is called the benefit cap.
The amount you get may go down to make sure the total isn’t more than the cap. You’re not affected by the cap if you or your partner work, and either of the following applies:
- Be living in England, Scotland or Wales
- 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
Benefits affected by the cap
The cap applies to the total amount people in your household (you, your partner and any children living with you) get 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)
Benefits that aren’t included
You’re not affected by the cap if anyone in your household qualifies for Working Tax Credit or gets any of the following benefits:
- 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