Answers · UK 2025/26
Are carers exempt from the benefit cap?
Yes — households where someone receives Carer's Allowance, the carer element of Universal Credit, or Guardian's Allowance are exempt from the benefit cap entirely, regardless of how much total benefit income the household receives. This is one of several exemptions designed to protect people with significant caring responsibilities from having their overall benefit income capped.
Full answer
The benefit cap limits the total amount of certain benefits a working-age household can receive, currently set (2026/27) at broadly £25,323 a year for couples and lone parents outside Greater London (£423.46 a week) and £16,967 a year for single adults without children outside London (£283.71 a week), with slightly higher caps inside Greater London. However, a range of households are entirely exempt from the cap, and carers are one of the most significant groups protected. Specifically, if anyone in the household is receiving Carer's Allowance, has been awarded the carer element within Universal Credit (which is included if you provide at least 35 hours of care a week for someone receiving a qualifying disability benefit), or receives Guardian's Allowance, the entire household benefit cap does not apply at all — there is no partial cap or reduced limit, the exemption removes the cap completely for as long as the qualifying carer status continues. Other groups exempt from the cap include households where someone receives a disability or incapacity-related benefit (such as the daily living component of PIP, Attendance Allowance, or the LCWRA element of Universal Credit), war widows and widowers, and households where someone works enough hours to qualify for Working Tax Credit-equivalent earnings thresholds under Universal Credit's "in-work" exemption. Because the carer exemption depends on actually having the carer element awarded or Carer's Allowance in payment (rather than simply providing informal unpaid care without a formal award), carers who are providing substantial care but have not yet applied for Carer's Allowance or had the Universal Credit carer element added should check their eligibility and apply promptly, since doing so could remove a benefit cap reduction that would otherwise apply to the household. Use the Benefit Entitlement calculator to check your position.
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This answer is informational only and does not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Figures are for the 2025/26 UK tax year. See our methodology and sources.