When you're not affected

You’re not affected by the cap if you’re over State Pension age . If you’re part of a couple and one of you is under State Pension age, the cap may apply. You’re not affected by the cap if you or your partner: get Working Tax Credit (even if the amount you get is £0) get Universal Credit because of a disability or health 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 get Universal Credit and you and your partner earn £793 or more a month combined, after tax and National Insurance contributions You’re also not affected by the cap if you, your partner or any children 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) War pensions War Widow’s or War Widower’s Pension If you are affected, the benefit cap might not start for 9 months - depending on your earnings.

When the benefit cap affects your Universal Credit payments

The benefit cap might not affect your Universal Credit payments for up to 9 months. This is called the ‘grace period’. You’ll get the grace period if all of the following are true: you’re claiming Universal Credit because you stopped working or your earnings went down you’re now earning less than £793 a month in each of the 12 months before your earnings went down or you stopped working, you earned the same as or more than the earnings threshold (this was £722 up to 7 April 2024 and is £793 from 8 April 2024) Your partner’s earnings will be included when working out how much you earned even if they’re not claiming benefits. If you have separated from your partner, their earnings will be included for the time that you lived with them before you separated. You need to report your last 12 months’ earnings when you apply for Universal Credit to get the grace period. You will not be affected by the benefit cap if you or your partner get Universal Credit because you have a disability or health condition or because you care for someone with a disability or you earn £793 or more between you. How the 9 month grace period works If you’re already claiming Universal Credit, the grace period will start on the first day of the assessment period in which your earnings went below the earnings threshold. The threshold was £722 up to 7 April 2024 and is £793 from 8 April 2024. If you’re making a new claim for Universal Credit, the grace period starts from either: the day after the last day you worked the payday when your earnings went below the earnings threshold (this was £722 up to 7 April 2024 and is £793 from 8 April 2024) The 9 month grace period continues if you stop claiming Universal Credit and then start again. Example Your 9 month grace period starts on 1 February. You get a job on 1 May and your benefit stops. You stop work and claim again from 1 August. Your 9 month grace period will end on 31 October. After the 9 month grace period ends, the amount of Universal Credit you get will usually go down. It might not go down if your circumstances change and you are not affected by the benefit cap .

Help if you're affected by the benefit cap

Contact the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) if you’re affected by the benefit cap and you need help. If you need help paying your rent or a rent deposit, contact your local council as well. They can check if you’re eligible for a discretionary housing payment , which is not affected by the benefit cap. If you get Universal Credit Contact DWP either: through the journal in your online account by calling the Universal Credit helpline If you get any other benefits Benefit cap helpline if you do not get Universal Credit Telephone: 0800 169 0145 Telephone (Welsh): 0800 169 0238 Textphone: 0800 169 0314 Relay UK (if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0145 British Sign Language (BSL) video relay service if you’re on a computer - find out how to use the service on mobile or tablet Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm Find out about call charges

The amount you get through the benefit cap depends on whether: you live inside or outside Greater London you’re single or in a couple your children live with you (if you’re single) If you’re in a couple but you do not live together, you’ll get the amounts for a single person. Benefit cap outside Greater London Per week Per month If you’re in a couple £423.46 £1,835 If you’re a single parent and your children live with you £423.46 £1,835 If you’re a single adult £283.71 £1,229.42 Benefit cap inside Greater London Per week Per month If you’re in a couple £486.98 £2,110.25 If you’re a single parent and your children live with you £486.98 £2,110.25 If you’re a single adult £326.29 £1,413.92

Benefit cap

Benefits affected by the cap

The benefit cap is a limit on the total amount of benefit you can get. It applies to most people aged 16 or over who have not reached State Pension age.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

The benefit cap affects:

Universal Credit
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
Widowed Parent’s Allowance (or Widowed Mother’s Allowance or Widow’s Pension if you started getting it before 9 April 2001)

You might not be affected by the benefit cap if you get certain benefits or you’re over State Pension age.

If you’re claiming Universal Credit the benefit cap might not start for 9 months, depending on your earnings.

View a printable version of the whole guide

Benefit cap

Benefits affected by the cap

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK

Cookies on GOV.UK

Benefit cap

Benefits affected by the cap

Related content

Is this page useful?

Help us improve GOV.UK

Help us improve GOV.UK