Nearly 400,000 North East families waiting for their second cost of living payment can expect it to arrive from next week.
The £324 payment, the last part of the £650 payment announced by then Chancellor Rishi Sunak earlier this year, will be paid to Universal Credit claimants from Tuesday, November 8, although the Department of Work and Pensions has warned that only "a small number" will be paid that day, with "numbers increasing significantly" from November 9 onwards.
The deadline for most payments to be made is November 23. It is thought that families in receipt of Tax Credits and other eligible legacy benefits will get their money from November 23-30.
The first payment of £326 was made to most claimants in July, and many concerned people took to social media when they did not receive their payment on the first day due. This time round, the DWP has moved to limit expectations by saying that most people will be paid from November 9 onwards.
Read more: How many people get the cost of living in the North East and where do they live?
A total of 8.2 million households - or nearly one in four in the UK - will receive the £650 Cost of living Payment, at a total cost of £5.4 billion, and around 6.3 million people who receive a qualifying disability benefit will receive a one-off £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment, at a total cost of £0.9 billion.
Claimants on legacy benefits will be paid after November 23 to avoid duplicate payments if families are transferring to Universal Credit.
In a small minority of complex circumstances, claimants may be paid automatically after November 23, 2022 – for example, if they were deemed unable to claim certain benefits, but won backdated entitlement on appeal, or where payments were rejected due to invalid account details. The DWP says it will seek to contact claimants directly where there are issues or delays.
To get the money, you must have claimed one of the following benefits between August 16 2022 to September 25 2022:
- Universal Credit
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
The payment will be made separately from your benefit and the date your benefit is due will have no bearing on the date your cost of living payment arrives. Work and Pensions Secretary Chloe Smith said: "Millions of families will soon see a £324 cash boost as part of our extensive £1,200 support package, helping to raise incomes and manage the rising cost of living.
"We understand that people are struggling which is why and we’re committed to supporting the most vulnerable households. That’s also why we are focused on driving growth and delivering quality public services so we can continue to support those in need through these challenging times while boosting opportunity for all."
The £650 payment was announced in May as part of the Government's cost of living relief package. In addition, there is also an extra £300 payment to pensioners directly in November or December alongside the Winter Fuel Payment and £150 to individuals receiving disability benefits, which was paid in September.
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