Benefit cap: every value since 2017
The benefit cap limits the total amount of certain benefits a household of working age can get. These are the annual levels; DWP also gives monthly and weekly equivalents.
Department for Work and Pensions gives 10 values for the couples or lone parents, outside London (a year), from £20,000 in 2017 to 2018 to £22,020 in 2026 to 2027. Of the 9 year-to-year steps, it stayed the same in 8, went up in 1 and never went down. The largest rise from one value to the next was +10.1%, in 2023 to 2024 (from £20,000 to £22,020). Across the whole series the cash value changed by +10.1%. The value in 2025 to 2026 was the same as the one before; ONS CPI inflation for calendar year 2025 was 3.4%.
The benefit cap levels were set in November 2016 and changed in April 2023; DWP's lists before 2017 to 2018 used the previous cap levels in a different layout and are not shown.
Couples or lone parents, outside London (a year)
| Tax year | Couples or lone parents, outside London (a year) (a year) | Change on previous value | CPI inflation that calendar year (ONS, D7G7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to 2027 | £22,020 | – | not yet published |
| 2025 to 2026 | £22,020 | – | 3.4% |
| 2024 to 2025 | £22,020 | – | 2.5% |
| 2023 to 2024 | £22,020 | +10.1% | 7.3% |
| 2022 to 2023 | £20,000 | – | 9.1% |
| 2021 to 2022 | £20,000 | – | 2.6% |
| 2020 to 2021 | £20,000 | – | 0.9% |
| 2019 to 2020 | £20,000 | – | 1.8% |
| 2018 to 2019 | £20,000 | – | 2.5% |
| 2017 to 2018 | £20,000 | 2.7% |
Single adults, outside London (a year)
Department for Work and Pensions gives 10 values for the single adults, outside London (a year), from £13,400 in 2017 to 2018 to £14,753 in 2026 to 2027. Of the 9 year-to-year steps, it stayed the same in 8, went up in 1 and never went down.
| Tax year | Single adults, outside London (a year) (a year) | Change on previous value | CPI inflation that calendar year (ONS, D7G7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to 2027 | £14,753 | – | not yet published |
| 2025 to 2026 | £14,753 | – | 3.4% |
| 2024 to 2025 | £14,753 | – | 2.5% |
| 2023 to 2024 | £14,753 | +10.1% | 7.3% |
| 2022 to 2023 | £13,400 | – | 9.1% |
| 2021 to 2022 | £13,400 | – | 2.6% |
| 2020 to 2021 | £13,400 | – | 0.9% |
| 2019 to 2020 | £13,400 | – | 1.8% |
| 2018 to 2019 | £13,400 | – | 2.5% |
| 2017 to 2018 | £13,400 | 2.7% |
Couples or lone parents, Greater London (a year)
Department for Work and Pensions gives 10 values for the couples or lone parents, Greater London (a year), from £23,000 in 2017 to 2018 to £25,323 in 2026 to 2027. Of the 9 year-to-year steps, it stayed the same in 8, went up in 1 and never went down.
| Tax year | Couples or lone parents, Greater London (a year) (a year) | Change on previous value | CPI inflation that calendar year (ONS, D7G7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to 2027 | £25,323 | – | not yet published |
| 2025 to 2026 | £25,323 | – | 3.4% |
| 2024 to 2025 | £25,323 | – | 2.5% |
| 2023 to 2024 | £25,323 | +10.1% | 7.3% |
| 2022 to 2023 | £23,000 | – | 9.1% |
| 2021 to 2022 | £23,000 | – | 2.6% |
| 2020 to 2021 | £23,000 | – | 0.9% |
| 2019 to 2020 | £23,000 | – | 1.8% |
| 2018 to 2019 | £23,000 | – | 2.5% |
| 2017 to 2018 | £23,000 | 2.7% |
Single adults, Greater London (a year)
Department for Work and Pensions gives 10 values for the single adults, Greater London (a year), from £15,410 in 2017 to 2018 to £16,967 in 2026 to 2027. Of the 9 year-to-year steps, it stayed the same in 8, went up in 1 and never went down.
| Tax year | Single adults, Greater London (a year) (a year) | Change on previous value | CPI inflation that calendar year (ONS, D7G7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 to 2027 | £16,967 | – | not yet published |
| 2025 to 2026 | £16,967 | – | 3.4% |
| 2024 to 2025 | £16,967 | – | 2.5% |
| 2023 to 2024 | £16,967 | +10.1% | 7.3% |
| 2022 to 2023 | £15,410 | – | 9.1% |
| 2021 to 2022 | £15,410 | – | 2.6% |
| 2020 to 2021 | £15,410 | – | 0.9% |
| 2019 to 2020 | £15,410 | – | 1.8% |
| 2018 to 2019 | £15,410 | – | 2.5% |
| 2017 to 2018 | £15,410 | 2.7% |
CPI: ONS series D7G7, for the calendar year the period starts in. About these tables · CSV
Related pages
Sources and receipts
- DWP Benefit and pension rates, Department for Work and Pensions: 10 yearly documents from 2017 to 2026, each linked from its row in the table. Read 2026-10-15. File addresses and SHA-256: receipts for each document.
- Consumer price inflation time series (MM23), Office for National Statistics.
File: mm23.csv. Read 2026-10-15. SHA-256
1b78749ea634755b83064d88f4fc6f7dd177e0c41d8b573c9d8172b8d3fff641