DWP Benefit Cap - how much can you claim from April 2027?

The Department for Work and Pensions updated their website on Wednesday, November 11, to outline proposed benefits rates for the 2027-28 tax year.

Benefits caps are used by the government to limit the total amount of money claimants can receive and it applies to most people over 16 and below State Pensions age.

The DWP benefits limited by the Benefit Cap

• Universal Credit
• Bereavement Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Child Benefit
• Incapacity Benefit
• Maternity Allowance
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance

-Widowed Parent’s Allowance (or Widowed Mother’s Allowance or Widow’s Pension if you started getting it before 9 April 2001)

The current annual maximum for couples (with or without children) or single claimants with a child of qualifying age is £22,020 or £25,323 for those in Greater London.

The annual maximum for single adults households this tax year, which ends in April, is £14,753 or £16,967 in Greater London.

This is proposed to be frozen for the 2027-28 tax year, meaning Brits won't be able to claim more than this amount between April 2027 and 2028.

The monthly equivalent is also planned to be frozen at £1,835 and £2,110.25 (Greater London) for couples, with or without children, or single claimants with a child of qualifying age.

Single households without children face the same freeze, with the maximum remaining at £1,229.42 and £1,413.92 in Greater London.

Weekly equivalents are planned to remain at £423.46 and £486.98 (Greater London) for couples, with or without children, or single claimants with a qualifying-age.

The weekly maximum for single households is planned to remain at £283.71 or £326.29 (Greater London).

This is despite the Office for National Statistics' most recent inflation rate being recorded at 3.6% in September and many economists forecasting that this is expected to rise next year.

The government explains that the cap may not start for nine months if someone is claiming Universal Credit but this depends on their earnings.

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DWP Benefits not affected by the Benefit Cap

• Adult Disability Payment (ADP)
• Armed Forces Compensation Scheme
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Attendance Allowance
• Carer’s Allowance
• Carer Support Payment
• Guardian’s Allowance
• Child Disability Payment
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Employment and Support Allowance (if you get the support component)
• Industrial Injuries Benefits (and equivalent payments as part of a War Disablement Pension or the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme)
• Pension Age Disability Payment
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Scottish Adult Disability Living Allowance (SADLA)
• War pensions
• War Widow’s or War Widower’s Pension

Brits are not affected by the benefits cap if they or their partner get Universal Credit because of a disability that 'stops them from working' or get it because they care for someone with a disability.

They're also exempt if they get Universal Credit and they or their partner earn £881 or more a month combined, after tax and National Insurance contributions.