On Thursday, the first instalment of the £650 cost of living payment started landing in people's bank account — and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued an urgent warning.
Up to a quarter of households in Scotland are eligible for the £326 sum, which will be paid into accounts across the remainder of the month. The payment is part of the UK Government's £37 billion support package to help people across the UK amid the worsening cost of living crisis.
With energy bills and everyday costs soaring, household budgets have been stretched to their limit, and many families have been forced into poverty. The payment, which is for individuals who claim certain qualifying DWP benefits, is therefore a lifeline for many people in need.
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However, as reported by MyLondon, the DWP has now warned the public to keep an eye out for scammers that are attempting to take advantage of the situation to steal their money. Those who are eligible for the £326 sum will get it in their bank accounts automatically this month.
Therefore, any messages or emails you receive informing you that you need to apply for the funds are fraudulent and could result in your money or personal information being stolen. These types of correspondence are referred to as phishing scams, and seek to steal as much private information as possible.
In most cases, scammers will attempt to obtain your bank account details or passwords. The UK Government has warned to "not give out private information", and not to "reply to text messages, download attachments or click on any links in emails if you're not sure they're genuine".
If you believe you are being targeted by a scammer as part of a cost of living payment scam, you should forward any emails and messages received to report@phishing.gov.uk and 7726 respectively.
If you have lost money after falling victim to a scam or have been hacked as a result of one, you can get in touch with Action Fraud online here or you can phone them on 0300 123 2040. Some criminals may make use of phone numbers or emails that look like they belong to genuine government departments, so you should cross-reference if you are unsure.
The £650 cost of living payment is being split up into two instalments, the first of which will be paid this month. The second £324 sum will be transferred this autumn.
It will be sent to those who claim certain qualifying benefits, including 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.
Most people will receive the first instalment between July 14 and 31, although for those receiving Tax Credits, the first payment is to be made from the autumn and the second from winter 2022. Payments may appear in accounts as “DWP Cost of Living”.
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