Benefit cap

The total amount of household benefits that working age claimants can get is capped.

The cap is set at the level of the average take-home pay. You can find benefit cap guidance on the UK Government website. There is also a cap calculator on the website.

The cap is:

• £257.69 per week (£13,400 per year) for single people with no children.
• £384.62 per week (£20,000 per year) for couples with or without children, and single parents.

The cap will be delayed for 39 weeks if you or your partner have worked for 50 weeks or more in the last 52 weeks. 

Exempt from the cap

The benefit cap will not apply if you, your partner, or any children living with you can get any of these benefits:

• Working Tax Credit
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer's Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Guardian's Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Benefits and the equivalent payments as part of a war disablement pension or the Armed Forces Compensation scheme
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• the support group amount of Employment and Support Allowance
• War Widow's or War Widower's pension
• Armed Forces Compensation scheme
• Armed Forces Independence Payment.