Benefit cap

The maximum amount of benefit payments that a working-age household (outside Greater London) can receive has been capped at:

  • £384.62 per week (£20,000 a year) if you’re in a couple

  • £384.62 per week (£20,000 a year) if you’re a single parent and your children live with you

  • £257.69 per week (£13,400 a year) if you’re a single adult

A small number of households in North Kesteven are affected by the benefit cap. All have four or more children and therefore receive Child Benefit, Child Tax Credit, Housing Benefit and one of the other means-tested benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance and are subject to the £384.62 a week benefit cap.

Options to avoid being affected by the benefit cap include finding work and getting Working Tax Credit. Alternatively if you cannot work you may require Money Advice to help you devise a budget to reduce outgoings or increase income and the Council provides a service to help with this. You can also claim a Discretionary Housing Payment from the Council to top up your Housing Benefit if you are struggling to pay your rent and other bills.

You can find a full breakdown of benefits included in the cap as well as those that that are not on the Gov.UK benefits included in the cap web page.