What is the benefit cap?
From Monday the new benefit cap will begin a pilot in four London boroughs before being rolled out nationally on 15th July.
The changes will first be introduced in Bromley, Croydon, Enfield and Haringey.
It will then follow in all other council areas between 15th July and and 30th September 2013.
What is the benefit cap?
The benefit cap will affect the amount of benefit that people of working age (16-64) can claim.
The full list of benefits that count towards the cap:
Bereavement Allowance
Carer’s Allowance
Child Benefit
Child Tax Credit
Employment and Support Allowance (except where it is paid with the support component)
Guardian’s Allowance
Housing Benefit whether paid direct to you or to your landlord (but not including Housing Benefit paid for Supported Exempt Accommodation)
Incapacity Benefit
Income Support
Jobseeker’s Allowance
Maternity Allowance
Severe Disablement Allowance
Widowed Parent’s Allowance
Widowed Mother’s Allowance
Widow’s Pension, including the Age-Related component
The cap will be set at £500 per week for a couple (with or without children) and for lone parents and £350 per week for single adults.
Read more: Welfare benefit changes - What is changing in April
Exemptions from the benefit cap
Those entitled to:
Working Tax Credit
Those in receipt of:
Disability Living Allowance
Personal Independence Payment (from April 2013)
Attendance Allowance
The support component of ESA
Industrial Injuries Benefits (and equivalent war disablement pensions and payments under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme)
War Widows and War Widowers pension
Claimants who have been in employment for 52 weeks or more when they claim benefit will be exempt from the cap for a grace period of up to 39 weeks.
Adult children living in a household, and receiving a benefit in their own right, would not normally count as part of that household for the purposes of the benefit cap.
Find out if you will be affected and how your benefits could be reduced
Reaction to the benefit cap