The cap, announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne during his Budget speech on Wednesday, is to be set at £119bn in 2015/16, rising in line with inflation to £127bn in 2018/19.
The cap includes child benefit, incapacity benefit, winter fuel payment and income support – but does not include state pension and Jobseeker's Allowance.
Osborne said the government would put the plans before MPs shortly, but if approved the measures would ensure any future raising of the welfare bill above the inflation-linked cap would need to be approved by parliament.
But children’s charities said the cap failed to address the cause of social problems for those reliant on benefits.
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