More than eight million households are set to receive the second instalment of the DWP’s Cost of Living Payments worth £900 payment in the upcoming weeks.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that the £300 payment will be given out this autumn which could be any time from now.
Who is eligible for the next £300 Cost of Living Payment?
Eligible Britons can claim three cost of living payments of £301, £300 and £299 if they get any of the following benefits or tax credits on certain dates (qualifying period):
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Universal Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
The payment will be made separately from their benefit payments.
People will not be eligible for the Cost of Living Payments if their benefit is reduced to £0 for the qualifying period. This is sometimes called a ‘nil award’.
Someone’s benefit may be reduced to £0 if they got more than one payment of earnings in their Universal Credit assessment period or if they or their partner’s earnings went up.
For more reasons, people can visit the Government website.
People may still be eligible for a Cost of Living Payment if their benefit is reduced to £0 and one of the following applies:
- money was taken off their benefit for other reasons, such as payments of rent to their landlord or for money that they owe
- they had a hardship payment because they could not pay for rent, heating, food or hygiene needs.
When is the next Cost of Living Payment due?
Some people may be entitled to up to five payments to help with the cost of living if they’re getting certain benefits or tax credits.
Those entitled will get:
- £301 paid between April 25, 2023, and May 17, 2023, for most people on DWP benefits (£301 paid between May 2 and 9, 2023 for most people on tax credits and no other low-income benefits)
- £300 paid during autumn 2023 for most people
- £299 paid during spring 2024 for most people
If someone has a joint claim on the qualifying dates, a single payment of £301, £300 and £299 will be sent using the same payment method used between these dates, if they’re eligible.
Additionally, the Disability Cost of Living Payment is part of the five payments one may get.
People may be entitled to a Disability Cost of Living Payment of £150 if they’re getting any of the following benefits:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance for adults
- Disability Living Allowance for children
- Personal Independence Payment
- Adult Disability Payment (in Scotland)
- Child Disability Payment (in Scotland)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
Some Britons may also be eligible for the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment.
If someone is entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023 to 2024, they will get an extra £150 or £300 paid with their normal payment from November 2023.
The full amount of Winter Fuel Payment (including the Pensioner Cost of Living Payment) people will get for winter 2023 to 2024 depends on when they were born and their circumstances during the qualifying dates.
People can get a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023 to 2024 if they were born before September 25, 1957.
