What you're entitled to
Total includes housing benefit
Previously £350 (£18,200)
Previously £500 (£26,000)
The Benefit Cap - what you need to know
Applies to the benefits of a household (you, partner, and dependent children). It will be Housing Benefit or Universal Credit that is capped.
Dependents are children that you receive child benefit for. This can be up to their 20th birthday.
CAP rates for Universal Credit
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Cap rates for Housing Benefit
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If you are affected consider one of the following:
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Make a claim for Personal Independence payment(PIP) , or Disability living allowance(DLA) / PIP for a child.
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Be in the support group of Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or the limited capability work related activity group (LCWRA) on Universal Credit.
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Make a claim for Carers allowance or have the carer element on your UC claim (Nb, to get this element included on your UC claim you don’t need to claim carers allowance but just meet the qualifying criteria ..providing support for 35 hours per week for a person who gets a qualifying benefit …DLA middle/high rate, PIP daily living standard or enhanced Daily Living or Attendance Allowance )
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Gain employment (You or your partner, have earnings equal to or exceeding the equivalent of 16 hours at the minimum wage multiplied by 52 and divided by 12.)
What’s Included in the calculation |
Excluded from the cap if someone in the household …
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Claim UC and you, or your partner, had earnings equal to or exceeding the equivalent of 16 hours at the minimum wage multiplied by 52 and divided by 12.
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Has been employed continuously in the previous 12 months and had earnings equal to or exceeding 16 hours at the equivalent rate of the national minimum wage for each month then the Cap won’t apply for first 39 weeks of your claim.(9 months)
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Of State pension age unless claiming JSA IB, ESA IR or IS |
working age customers |
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Included benefits for UC |
Excluded from the cap if anyone in the household claims one of the following benefits…
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Housing benefit (unless in supported housing) |
Housing benefit for supported accommodation |
Universal Credit(child care costs excluded from Calculation) |
DLA or PIP(customer/partner or child) |
Child Benefit |
Attendance allowance |
ESA (support group LCWRA excluded from CAP) |
ESA - Support component LCWRA (gets paid, not credits only) |
Incapacity benefit |
Industrial injuries benefits |
Child benefit |
War widows/widowers pension |
Child tax credits |
War Disablement Pension |
Guardian’s allowance |
Working tax credits |
Carer’s allowance |
Carers allowance |
Maternity allowance |
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Widows parents allowance |
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Severe disablement allowance |
Benefits not included in the CAP total |
Widows pension |
Discretionary Housing payments. |
As above for HB with addition of Housing Benefit (specified accommodation excluded) |
Council tax support / reduction |
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Budgeting loan / advances |
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One off council crisis payments |
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Free school meals |
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Child maintenance payments |
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Winter fuel payments |
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Statutory mat, paternity, adoption pay/stat sick pay |