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The benefit cap is a limit to the total amount a household can receive in certain benefits.

Weekly benefit cap

  • £350 a week for single adults
  • £500 a week for couples
  • £500 a week for single parents

This may mean the amount of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit you get will go down to make sure that the total amount you get is not more than the cap level.

Who will be affected

The benefit cap affects:

Who will not be affected

You are not affected by the cap if you or your partner get:

  • Working Tax Credit (even if the amount you get is £0)
  • Universal Credit and you and your partner earn £658 or more a month combined, after tax and National Insurance contributions

You are also not affected by the cap if you, your partner or any children under 18 living with you gets:

People who work a minimum of 16 hours per week, or couples who work a minimum of 25 hours per week combined will be exempt from the cap.

Those claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will also be exempt.

When Personal Independence Payment (PIP) replaces DLA, those who do not qualify for the new benefit will be liable to the benefit cap.

Find more information about the benefit cap at GOV.UK.

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