If you are affected by the benefit cap you will be contacted by the Department for Work and Pensions who will explain what the cap might mean for you.
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 .
The benefit cap affects:
- Universal Credit
- Bereavement Allowance
- Child Benefit
- Child Tax Credit
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Housing Benefit
- Incapacity Benefit
- Income Support
- Jobseeker鈥檚 Allowance
- Maternity Allowance
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Widowed Parent鈥檚 Allowance (or Widowed Mother鈥檚 Allowance or Widow鈥檚 Pension if you started getting it before 9 April 2001)
You might if you get certain benefits or you鈥檙e over State Pension age.
If you鈥檙e claiming Universal Credit the , depending on your earnings.
The amount you get through the benefit cap depends on whether:
- you live inside or outside .
- you鈥檙e single or in a couple.
- your children live with you (if you鈥檙e single).
If you鈥檙e in a couple but you do not live together, you鈥檒l get the amounts for a single person.
When you're not affected
You鈥檙e not affected by the cap if you鈥檙e over . If you鈥檙e part of a couple and one of you is under State Pension age, the cap may apply.
You鈥檙e not affected by the cap if you or your partner:
- get (even if the amount you get is 拢0)
- get Universal Credit because of a disability or health condition that stops you from working (this is called 鈥榣imited capability for work and work-related activity鈥�)
- get Universal Credit because you care for someone with a disability.
- get Universal Credit and you and your partner earn 拢793 or more a month combined, after tax and National Insurance contributions.
You鈥檙e 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鈥檚 Allowance
- Carer Support Payment
- Child Disability Payment
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Employment and Support Allowance (if you get the support component)
- Guardian鈥檚 Allowance
- Industrial Injuries Benefits (and equivalent payments as part of a War Disablement Pension or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- War pensions
- War Widow鈥檚 or War Widower鈥檚 Pension
If you are affected, the - depending on your earnings.
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Help if you're affected by the benefit cap
Contact the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) if you鈥檙e affected by the benefit cap and you need help.
If you get Universal Credit
Contact DWP either:
- through the journal in your
- by calling the
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
(if you cannot hear or speak on the phone): 18001 then 0800 169 0145
British Sign Language (BSL) if you鈥檙e on a computer - find out how to
Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
Contact Information
Name of Team: Benefits
Telephone: 01495 311556