The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will soon be rolling out the first instalment of its £900 Cost of Living payments.
It means millions of people receiving means-tested benefits will get a payment worth £301 as part of the latest wave of financial support from the government. Households receiving means-tested benefits such as Universal Credit, Pension Credit, and tax credits will receive extra support from Spring.
Meanwhile, a separate £150 will be made available for over six million people living with disabilities as well as £300 for over eight million pensioners on top of their Winter Fuel Payments.
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Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt said: "I know these are tough times for families across the UK who are struggling to meet rising food and energy costs, driven by the aftershocks of Covid and Putin’s war in Ukraine. That’s why we’re putting a further £900 into the pockets of over 8 million low-income households next year.
"These payments are on top of above-inflation increases to working-age benefits and the Energy Price Guarantee, which is insulating millions from even higher global gas prices. Tackling inflation is this government’s number one priority and is the only way to ease the strain of high prices, drive long-term economic growth and improve living standards for everyone."
Here's everything we know about the £900 Cost of Living payments so far...
Dates for £900 Cost of Living Payments
While exact dates are yet to be announced by the DWP, we know that the payments will be spread across six instalments throughout 2023 and 2024. The DWP announced the following payment dates and amounts:
- £301 – First Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2023
- £150 – Disability Payment – during Summer 2023
- £300 – Second Cost of Living Payment – during Autumn 2023
- £300 – Pensioner Payment – during Winter 2023/4
- £299 – Third Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2024
Eligibility
According to the DWP, you could receive up to 3 different types of payment depending on your circumstances on a particular date or during a particular period:
- a Cost of Living Payment, if you were getting a qualifying low income benefit or tax credits
- a Disability Cost of Living Payment, if you were getting a qualifying disability benefit
- a Pensioner Cost of Living Payment, if you’re entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023
In order to be eligible for a Cost of Living Payment, you must have received payments for any of the following benefits:
- 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
It has not yet been announced what time period for qualification will be used. The DWP has said that "further details on eligibility criteria for cost of living payments will be detailed" in legislation which will be introduced in Parliament in the early part of 2023.
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