Benefit Cap Calculator
The benefit cap limits the total amount of welfare benefits a household can receive. Find out whether your total benefits are over the cap and whether you may be exempt.
Disclaimer
About this tool — how it works
This calculator checks the total monthly benefits you enter against the benefit cap that applies to your household. The cap comes in four levels: it is higher in Greater London than in the rest of Great Britain, and higher for couples and households with a child under 16 than for single people without dependent children. The calculator converts the annual cap (£25,323, £22,020, £16,967 or £14,753 depending on your answers) to a monthly figure and tells you how far above or below it you are.
The result depends entirely on the benefit total you enter, so include every capped benefit (UC excluding the childcare element, Housing Benefit, Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit, ESA, JSA and others listed on the form) and leave out PIP, DLA and Attendance Allowance, which are never capped. After calculating, the tool lists the eight main exemptions — if any one applies to your household, the cap does not affect you at all, whatever the numbers say.
The calculator cannot verify your entitlement to the benefits themselves, does not know about the nine-month “grace period” that can apply after you stop work, and uses the Great Britain rules — Northern Ireland operates its own scheme with supplementary payments. Treat the result as a first check, and speak to Citizens Advice or a benefits adviser before acting on it.
Frequently asked questions
What are the benefit cap amounts?
For couples and single parents with a child under 16 in the household, the cap is £25,323 a year in Greater London and £22,020 elsewhere in Great Britain. For single people without dependent children it is £16,967 in London and £14,753 elsewhere. The cap has been frozen at these levels since April 2023.
Which benefits count towards the cap?
The main capped benefits are Universal Credit (excluding the childcare element), Housing Benefit, Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit, ESA, JSA, Carer’s Allowance, Incapacity Benefit and Maternity Allowance. PIP, DLA and Attendance Allowance are not counted — and receiving them usually exempts your household entirely.
How do I become exempt from the benefit cap?
Your household is exempt if anyone receives PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, Guardian’s Allowance, the UC LCWRA element, certain war pension or Industrial Injuries benefits, or if you are entitled to Working Tax Credit. Earning enough through work — broadly 16 or more hours a week at minimum wage — also lifts the cap.
What happens if I am over the cap?
The DWP reduces your Universal Credit (or Housing Benefit if you are not on UC) by the amount you are over, each month, until your total benefits fall within the cap. You can ask your council for a Discretionary Housing Payment to help with the shortfall while you adjust.