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Department for Work and Pensions gov.uk

Guidance: Benefit cap statistics: background information and methodology

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The latest release of statistics can be found in the collection of benefit cap statistics.

The Benefit Cap was introduced in 2013. It is a limit to the total amount of benefits a working-age claimant and other members of their household can receive. The Benefit Cap is applied to Universal Credit (UC) and Housing Benefit (HB).

The amount a household gets through the benefit cap depends on whether:

  • they live inside or outside Greater London
  • their children live with them (if they are single)

    • If they are in a couple but they do not live together, they will get the amounts for a single person.

    When the Benefit Cap was first introduced it initially applied to Housing Benefit in selected local authorities (LAs) from April 2013. It was rolled out to all LAs by November 2013. As Universal Credit was rolled out, the number of households being capped in Universal Credit grew and by 2018 Universal Credit replaced Housing Benefit for new applications.

    All existing working-age claimants of Housing Benefit (except those in temporary and specified accommodation) are expected to be moved to Universal Credit by 2026. The Benefit Cap is now applied almost entirely in Universal Credit except for a small number of Housing Benefit working-age claimants who cannot claim UC.

    In addition to UC and HB, the benefits taken into account that determine if income exceeds the limit for the Benefit Cap are:

  • Employment and Support Allowance (except when the support component is in payment)
  • Widowed Parent’s Allowance (or Widowed Mother’s Allowance or Widow’s Pension if you started getting it before 9 April 2001)
  • Child Tax Credit (prior to CTC claimants being moved to UC)

    • The Benefit Cap for UC is calculated as:

  • Calculate the UC maximum amount (the standard allowance plus any elements, for example housing costs and child elements) excluding childcare costs paid by UC
  • Deduct for any earnings or income (for example, savings)

    • This is an extract. The publication continues at the source.

    Document

    Read the original at the source: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-statistics-background-information-and-methodology

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    Department for Work and Pensions — imported from official source
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    https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions.atom ATOM
    Imported
    September 22, 2026 09:30
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    https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-statistics-background-informatio...

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