TL;DR
The benefit cap limits the total amount most working-age households can receive from certain benefits. For 2026/27 it is frozen at £25,323 a year for couples and lone parents in Greater London (£16,967 for single adults without children), and £22,020 outside London (£14,753 for single adults without children). A household is exempt if someone receives a qualifying disability or carer benefit, or earns above the work threshold. The cap is applied by reducing Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.
Last reviewed 30 June 2026
What the benefit cap is
The benefit cap is a limit on the total amount of benefit income that most working-age households can receive. If a household's combined benefits would come to more than the cap, the amount over the limit is removed, usually from Universal Credit or Housing Benefit. It does not apply to people over State Pension age, and it does not apply in the same form in Northern Ireland, which has separate arrangements.
The 2026/27 amounts
For 2026/27 the cap is frozen at the 2025/26 levels. In Greater London the annual cap is £25,323 for couples and lone parents (about £486.98 a week) and £16,967 for single adults without children (about £326.29 a week). In the rest of Great Britain the annual cap is £22,020 for couples and lone parents (about £423.46 a week) and £14,753 for single adults without children (about £283.71 a week). Because the figures are frozen rather than uprated, more households reach the cap each year as other benefit rates rise.
Which benefits count toward the cap
The cap is applied to the total of a defined list of benefits, which includes Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, Child Benefit, Jobseeker's Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Maternity Allowance, and certain bereavement and incapacity benefits. Some payments, such as Council Tax support, sit outside the cap. The DWP adds up the relevant benefits and reduces Universal Credit or Housing Benefit to bring the total down to the cap.
Who is exempt
A household is exempt from the cap if it earns above the work threshold, or if the claimant, their partner or a child living with them receives a qualifying benefit. Qualifying benefits include Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance, the support group component of Employment and Support Allowance, and certain industrial injuries, armed forces and guardian payments. These exemptions mean disabled people, carers and working households are generally protected.
The grace period
There is a grace period of nine months during which the cap does not apply, for people who have recently left work after a sustained period of earnings. It is designed to give someone who has just lost a job time to adjust before the cap takes effect. The qualifying earnings condition is strict and looks back over the previous year, so it helps most where there has been a steady earnings history.
How the cap is enforced
Where the cap applies, the reduction is taken from Universal Credit or, for legacy claims, from Housing Benefit. Child Benefit and most other capped benefits continue to be paid in full, but the overall household entitlement is brought down to the cap level by reducing the housing or Universal Credit element. Households facing hardship can sometimes apply to their council for a Discretionary Housing Payment, although that funding is limited.
Related guides
Disclaimer: This article is general information and not financial or welfare advice. Benefit cap amounts and exemptions are set by government and can change. For a personal estimate, use a benefits calculator or a free adviser such as Citizens Advice. Figures are from the GOV.UK source below.
Frequently asked questions
What is the benefit cap for 2026/27?
It is frozen at £25,323 a year for couples and lone parents in Greater London and £22,020 outside London, with lower figures of £16,967 and £14,753 for single adults without children.
Who is exempt from the benefit cap?
Households where someone receives a qualifying disability or carer benefit such as PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance, Carer's Allowance or the ESA support group component, or where the household earns above the work threshold.
Which benefits are reduced to apply the cap?
Usually Universal Credit, or Housing Benefit for legacy claims. Child Benefit and most other capped benefits are still paid in full.
Does the benefit cap apply in Northern Ireland?
Northern Ireland has its own separate arrangements rather than the same cap that applies in England, Scotland and Wales.
What is the grace period?
A nine-month period during which the cap does not apply, for people who have recently left work after a sustained period of earnings.
