Benefit cap
There is a ‘cap’ on the total amount of benefits and tax credits you can receive, although some claimants are exempt. If the total amount of your benefit is capped, the cap is applied by either reducing the amount of your universal credit (UC) or by reducing the amount of your housing benefit (HB). The cap does not apply to you if you have reached pension age (see here) and there are a number of other situations in which it does not apply – eg, if you or someone in your household gets a disability benefit, or if you or your partner get carer’s allowance or guardian’s allowance. If you are getting UC, the cap is set at £1,116.67 a month for single people with no children and £1,666.67 a month for couples and lone parents.
If you are getting HB, the cap is set at £257.69 a week for single people with no dependent children and £384.62 a week for couples and lone parents.