The Benefit Cap limits the overall amount of welfare benefits a \u2018working age\u2019 household can receive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The limit means that those people most likely to be affected are those with children and\/or a high rent (i.e. those who receive a high amount of welfare) who are not otherwise excluded due to their circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are affected by the Benefit Cap, then the amount you get from Universal Credit will go down to make sure you do not get more than the welfare benefit cap limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Benefit Cap does not apply to you (i.e. you are excluded) if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are not getting one of the benefits \/ in one of the situations that would exclude you from the Benefit Cap, then the Benefit Cap might reduce your Universal Credit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First the DWP will add together most of the benefits you are entitled to (including Child Benefit) and add them to the Universal Credit award to work out your monthly total welfare figure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They will then compare this total to the Benefit Cap limit that applies to you: <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Example:<\/strong> Example:<\/strong> NOTE: <\/strong>When the DWP add your benefits together they will not include: any Childcare Costs Element in your Universal Credit award, Council Tax Support, Statutory Sick Pay, Statutory Maternity Pay, Bereavement Support Payment, Housing Payment\/Discretionary Housing Payments or Housing Benefit paid on \u2018specified accommodation\u2019 (ask a Benefits Adviser if you\u2019re not sure if this applies to you).<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Benefit Cap limits the overall amount of welfare benefits a \u2018working age\u2019 household can receive. The limit means that those people most likely to be affected are those with children and\/or a high rent (i.e. those who receive a high amount of welfare) who are not otherwise excluded due to their circumstances. If you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":3368,"menu_order":18,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-696","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ucpages.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/696","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ucpages.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ucpages.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ucpages.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ucpages.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=696"}],"version-history":[{"count":62,"href":"https:\/\/ucpages.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/696\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16963,"href":"https:\/\/ucpages.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/696\/revisions\/16963"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ucpages.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ucpages.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/s><\/p>\n\n\n\nSituation<\/strong><\/td> Weekly Amount<\/strong><\/td> Monthly Amount<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> Families with children and couples – in London<\/td> \u00a3486.98<\/td> \u00a32110.25<\/td><\/tr> Families with children and couples – outside London<\/td> \u00a3423.46<\/td> \u00a31835.00<\/td><\/tr> Single people – in London<\/td> \u00a3326.29<\/td> \u00a31413.92<\/td><\/tr> Single people – outside London<\/td> \u00a3283.71<\/td> \u00a31229.42<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Mahia and Para have 3 children aged 15, 13 and 11. They have had difficulty finding work, and their rent is \u00a3128.00 per week (which works out at \u00a3554.67 per month). They live outside Greater London in a 3 bedroom housing association house.
They are entitled to: Child Benefit = \u00a3272.35 per month and Universal Credit = \u00a31,877.46 per month. Their total ‘welfare’ is \u00a32,149.81 per month. As their total welfare income is \u00a3314.81 over their benefit cap of \u00a31835 per month, their Universal Credit will be reduced by \u00a3314.81 to \u00a31,562.65.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shaun lives in Greater London. He lives alone in a one bedroom rented flat. He is looking for work. His rent is \u00a3240 a week (which works out at \u00a31040 per month). Universal Credit = \u00a31464.90 per month. His total ‘welfare’ is \u00a31464.90 per month. The Benefit Cap limit which applies to Shaun is \u00a31413.92 per month. His excess income is \u00a350.98 (\u00a31413.92 minus \u00a31413.92). His UC will be reduced by \u00a350.98 \u2013 his next payment will be \u00a31,413.92.<\/p>\n\n\n\n