Millions of claimants on Universal Credit and other benefits will get a payment of £326 from today to help with the soaring cost of living.
The cash will be paid out to more than eight million UK households in total.
The £326 is the first half of a larger £650 Government cost of living payment, and will be paid out from July 14.
You should get the money by the end of July if you're eligible, although the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has warned of possible delays.
You may not get the top-up payment on the day you usually get your benefits.
Those who claim Tax Credits - so Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit - are expected to get their £650 cost of living payment slightly later.
Tax Credits claimants will receive their first payment in autumn, with a second payment to follow in winter.
The second payment of £324 will come in the autumn, although no set date has been announced yet.
Which benefits claimants get the £650 payment?
The £650 payment is only being given out to those who claim means-tested benefits - so where your income and savings are taken into account.
This includes:
Child Tax Credit
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Income Support
Pension Credit
Universal Credit
Working Tax Credit
The DWP has also issued advice on how you can challenge a decision.
I'm not eligible for the £650 - what help can I get?
If you claim certain disability benefits, there is a £150 cost of living payment due in September.
Pensioners in receipt of Winter Fuel Payments will get an extra £300.
Every home in England, Scotland and Wales will also receive £400 off their energy bills, spread out over six months from October.
Rather than a cash payment, the money will be applied directly to your energy account.
Direct debit and credit customers will have the money credited to their account, while those with pre-payment meters will have the money added to their meter or paid via a voucher.
Support to people in Northern Ireland has not yet been announced.
This is in replacement of the £200 "loan-not-loan" that had originally been announced last year by the Chancellor.
Other help is also available through the Household Support Fund, which is being paid out by local councils.
Each local authority decides who to give the money to, and how the money should be spent - so you may face a postcode lottery in terms of the help available to you.
The help on offer does vary, but can include cash grants and supermarket vouchers.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak extended the Household Support Fund as part of a wider £15billion package to tackle the cost of living crisis.
Speak to your council to see what help it offers and if you’re eligible for support.
