How will the new benefit cap affect you?

  • Benefits
Unions said the benefits cap will impact single parents and their children. Credit: PA

A new cap on benefits for unemployed households has come into effect today.

The cap will affect 64,000 new households and the GMB union has called it a "monstrous new assault" on single mothers and their children.

Below are more details on the cap and how it might affect you.

The cap applies to the total amount people in one household get from the following benefits:

  • Bereavement allowance

  • Carer's allowance (this won’t be affected by the benefit cap from 7 November 2016)

  • Child benefit

  • Child tax credit

  • Employment and support allowance (unless you get the ‘support’ component)

  • Guardian's allowance (this won’t be affected by the benefit cap from 7 November 2016)

  • Housing Benefit

  • Incapacity Benefit

  • Income Support

  • Jobseeker's Allowance

  • Maternity Allowance

  • Severe Diasblement Allowance

  • Widowed Parent's Allowance (or Widowed Mother’s Allowance or Widows Pension if you started getting it before 9 April 2001)

  • Universal Credit (unless you’ve had a work capability assessment and aren’t fit for work)

If you live outside Greater London the new benefits cap will be:

If you live inside Greater London the new benefits cap will be:

Households where someone works more than 16 hours a week are exempt from the cap, and where either of the following apply:

  • you or your partner are eligible for Working Tax Credit

  • you or your partner get Universal Credit, and your household income is more than £430 a month after tax and National Insurance