Your summary
The benefit cap takes off£1,116.14a month
Total£2,951
Paid£1,835.00
Lost to the cap£1,116.14
Your benefits come to £2,951.14 a month, over the cap of £1,835.00. Universal Credit falls from £2,678.79 to £1,562.65, a loss of £13,394 a year.
Cap £22,020 a yearOutside LondonCapped
THE COMPLETE PICTURE
Your results in detail
Cap a month£1,835.00
Benefits counted£2,951.14
Taken off£1,116.14
Universal Credit£1,562.65
What we assumed
- Cap
- £22,020 a year, couple or family
- Rates
- 2026/27
- Child Benefit
- £272.35 a month counted
- Childcare element
- Not capped
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What counts towards the cap
A month, before the cap.
| Item | A month |
|---|---|
| Universal Credit before the cap | £2,678.79 |
| Child Benefit | £272.35 |
| Benefits counted | £2,951.14 |
| Benefit cap | £1,835.00 |
| Reduction to Universal Credit | £1,116.14 |
Paid£1,835.0062%
Lost to the cap£1,116.1438%
Income at different earnings
Take-home pay, Universal Credit and Child Benefit a month.
Household income
Take-home pay £0: Universal Credit £1,562.65 after a cap of £1,116.14, total £1,835.00.
£1,020£2,040£3,060£4,090
Drag across the chart, or use the arrow keys, to read any level of pay.
Worth knowing
Ways out of the cap.
Earning £881 a month would lift the cap
With take-home pay of £881, your Universal Credit would be £2,429.09 a month instead of £1,562.65. That is about 16 hours a week at the National Living Wage.
Check for exemptions
If anyone in the household gets PIP, DLA, Attendance Allowance or Carer's Allowance, or a Work Capability Assessment finds you have limited capability for work and work-related activity, you would get £1,116.14 a month more.
Discretionary Housing Payments
Councils can top up rent for capped households with a Discretionary Housing Payment, usually for a limited time while you look for work or cheaper housing.
2026/27 benefit cap. An estimate, not a decision on your claim.