Benefit Cap
Benefits included in the cap
The following benefits are included in the calculation for Benefit Cap:
- Bereavement allowance
- Child benefit
- Child tax credit
- ESA (C)
- ESA (IR) (unless the support component has been awarded)
- Housing benefit
- Income support
- Jobseekers allowance
- Maternity allowance
- Severe disablement allowance
- Widows pension, widowed mothers allowance and widowed parents allowance
The calculation is based on the full award before any deductions are made.
Benefits that aren’t included
The following are not included in the calculation for benefit cap:
- Bereavement payment
- Guardians allowance
- Carers allowance
- Council Tax Support
- Discretionary Housing Payment
- Any one off payment such as budgeting loans, cold weather payments, LWP payments, funeral payments, Sure Start maternity grants
- Pension credit
- Residency order payments
- Statutory adoption pay paid by employers
- Statutory maternity pay paid by employers
- Statutory shared parental pay paid by employers
- Winter fuel payment
Any benefits or other income not included in the above lists will not be taken into account when calculating the cap.