Related publications
If you are under State Pension age, there may be a limit on the total amount in benefits your household can receive. If your income goes above this amount, your working-age Housing Benefit or Universal Credit is reduced until it drops below the limit again. This is called a benefit cap.
Who does it affect?
The benefit cap may apply if you or your partner, if you have one, are:
- under State Pension age
- receiving Housing Benefit or Universal Credit
- receiving a total amount in certain benefits above the cap. You can read the full list of benefits that are affected by the cap on Gov.uk.
Some people are exempt from the cap. For example, if you or your partner are receiving certain other benefits, such as Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment, the benefit cap won’t apply. There may be other exemptions so contact Citizens Advice to check.
If you’re over State Pension age, the benefit cap will not apply to you. If you're in a couple and one of you is over State Pension age and one of you is not, you will usually be exempt, unless you or your partner are continuing to claim certain working-age benefits.
How will it affect me?
If you're single, the cap for 2023/24 is set at £1,413.92 a month if you live in Greater London, and £1,229.42 if you live outside Greater London. If you're single with a child you'll get a higher rate.
If you're in a couple, the cap for 2023/2024 is set at £2,110.25 a month if you live in Greater London, and £1,835 if you live anywhere else in the UK. As a couple, you are exempt from the benefit cap if you have both reached State Pension age.
If you're in a couple where only one of you is under State Pension age, call our free Helpline (0800 319 6789) for advice. If you're affected by the cap and are under State Pension age, contact Citizens Advice.
Get handy updates by email
...about our free and impartial information and advice for older people, their families and carers, as well as the other ways we can help.