According to the Department for Work and Pensions, more than 7.2 million payments of £326 have been given to struggling households, which means around £2.4bn has been paid out to families across the UK. However, two groups of benefit claimants will not be receiving the first cost of living payment instalment this month.
By Wednesday, July 20, 99% of those eligible to receive the first payment of £650 had done so, but there are a delay to some payments where people have more complicated circumstances. These people will need to wait a bit longer as those who became entitled to the payment at a later date will be paid after July reports The Manchester Evening News.
This is because in some cases people did not initially meet the requirements for the payment in the qualifying period, but then qualified at a later date following a successful appeal.
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Those who receive income top-ups from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will be paid in Autumn rather than by the end of July. The DWP said that this was "unavoidable" and payments will be made automatically "as soon as possible."
DWP Minister, David Rutley MP said: "There will be some cases, such as those who gained entitlement to the DWP cost of living payment at a later date, that will be paid after July. This is unavoidable and they will be paid automatically as soon as possible.”
Although a data has not been announced yet, the second instalment of £324 will arrive in the autumn. There will be separate payments for pensioners and disabled people, £300 and £150, which will also come later in 2022.
Those claiming Working Tax Credits or Child Tax Credits along with one of the DWP qualifying benefits can also receive the crucial cash support this month. All cost of living payments will be made automatically so there is no need to apply.
Those who are eligible should look out in their bank accounts for a payment of £326 with the reference ‘DWP Cost of Living’ or ‘DWP COL’.
Cost of living payments - July
Details were also shared by Mr Rutley of how much has been paid to eligible claimants each day since July 14. The total paid out so far is 7.2m across Great Britain and 0.3m in Northern Ireland.
Thursday, July 14
- Great Britain - 1.6m
- Northern Ireland - nil
Friday, July 15
- Great Britain - 1.6m
- Northern Ireland - nil
Monday, July 18
- Great Britain - 1.6m
- Northern Ireland - nil
Tuesday, July 19
- Great Britain - 1.6m
- Northern Ireland - nil
Wednesday, July 20
- Great Britain - 0.6m
- Northern Ireland - 0.3m
Am I eligible for a cost of living support payment?
Depending on your circumstances on a particular date or in a particular period, you could get up to three different types of payment. These include the £650 Cost of Living Payment if you have a qualifying low income/means-tested benefit or Tax Credits, which is paid in two instalments of £326 and £324.
If you get a qualifying disability benefit there is the £150 Disability Cost of Living Payment. There is also the £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment for those entitled to a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2022 to 2023.
You will not be eligible for the cost of living payment if you get the New Style Employment and Support Allowance, Contributory Employment and Support Allowance or New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance, unless you get Universal Credit.
Qualifying low income benefits and Tax Credits
You could be eligible for a payment of £650 paid in two lump sums of £326 and £324 if you get payments of Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), Income Support, Pension Credit, Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit. If you have a joint claim with a partner, if eligible, you will get one payment of £326 and one payment of £324 for your joint claim.
Universal Credit
You must have been entitled to a payment of at least 1p, or later found to be entitled to a payment, of Universal Credit for an assessment period that ended in the period April 26, 2022 to May 25, 2022 to get the first £326 instalment of the Cost of Living Payment. The DWP will be updating guidance on GOV.UK when the UK Government has announced the qualifying dates to get the second payment of £324.
Universal Credit ‘nil awards’
If your earnings have reduced your Universal Credit to £0, you will not be eligible for the £326 Cost of Living Payment for the qualifying assessment period, which is sometimes called a ‘nil award’. However, if money has also been taken off for other reasons you may still be eligible, such as payments of rent to your landlord or for money that you owe.
Income-based JSA, Income-based ESA, Income Support and Pension Credit
For the first Cost of Living Payment of £326, you must have been entitled to a payment, or later found to be entitled to a payment, of Income-based JSA, Income-related ESA, Income Support or Pension Credit for any day in the period April 26, 2022 to May 25, 2022.
Tax Credits
For the first Cost of Living Payment you must have received, or later receive, for any day in the period April 26, 2022 to May 25, 2022 a payment of tax credits and an annual award of at least £26 of Tax Credits. If you get both Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit, then you will only receive a Cost of Living Payment for Child Tax Credit.
If you get Tax Credits from HMRC and a low income benefit from DWP, you will get a Cost of Living Payment from DWP only before the end of July. Whereas if you only receive Tax Credits, you will get the first payment of £326 from this autumn and the second payment of £324 from this winter, although a specific date for the first payment has not yet been announced.
Backdated Cost of Living payments
If you are awarded a qualifying benefit at a later date or you change the account your benefit or Tax Credits are paid into then your payment may come later. However, will still be paid the Cost of Living Payment automatically and you do not need to contact DWP or HMRC.
What’s the maximum someone could get this year?
The maximum that someone could get this year depends on personal circumstances. For example, if you are under State Pension age and on Universal Credit, but also claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP), you could be due £800 - £650 for means-tested payment and £150 for disability payment.
Or similarly, someone over State Pension age who is claiming Pension Credit and PIP, could be due £800 and the additional £300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment which is being added to the November/December winter fuel payments. If you recieve a complex set of benefits, you should contact DWP or an independent benefits advisor to get a better understanding of what help you will receive.
Those with certain disability benefits may get a lump sum of £150. This is for those with either Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance for adults, Disability Living Allowance for children, Personal Independence Payment, Adult Disability Payment, Child Disability Payment, Armed Forces Independence Payment or War Pension Mobility Supplement.
Eligibility and when you will get paid
To get the payment you must have received a payment, or later receive a payment, of one of these qualifying benefits for May 25, 2022. If you get a qualifying disability benefit from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and a qualifying disability benefit from DWP, you will only get a Disability Cost of Living Payment from the DWP.
Payments will be made this Autumn from September 2022. If you also get a qualifying low income benefit or Tax Credits, you may also get an additional Cost of Living Payment.
£300 one-off payment for people of State Pension age
All eligible pensioner households will get the one-off ‘Pensioner Cost of Living Payment’ added as a top-up to their annual Winter Fuel Payment in November/December.
We have a full guide to all the different household combinations that qualify for the £300 payment here.
Eligibility and when you will get paid
People will be eligible for this payment if they are aged 66 or above between 19-25 September 2022 and in receipt of the Winter Fuel Payment This £300 is not taxable and will be paid on top of any other one-off support a pensioner household is entitled to and does not affect eligibility for other benefits.
Payments will be made over this November and December. However, there are certain circumstances where an individual aged 66 or over does not qualify for the payment, which can be found on the Gov.uk website.
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