Millions of people who rely on benefits will be given a £324 cost of living payment from November 8, the government confirmed today.
This is the second half of a £650 sum paid to those who receive Universal Credit, Income Support, Child Tax Credit and some other benefits.
The first payment was made in July, when the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said they were "staggered" because of the large number of people eligible.
Today the Department said the second payment would hit bank accounts between November 8 and November 23.
Under-fire Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng said the targeted support would help people through the difficult coming months.
You may get a payment of £650 paid in 2 lump sums of £326 and £324 if you get payments of any of the following:
- 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 government said the payment will be made separately from your benefit.
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."
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng added: "We know that people have been worried about their bills ahead of this winter, which is why we’ve taken decisive action to hold down energy bills, saving the average household around £1,000 a year, and provided £1,200 of targeted support to the most vulnerable.
"Without our intervention, analysts were predicting that the average annual energy bill could have reached £6,500 next year. We were never going to let this happen."
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 in the very small minority of cases where there are issues or delays.
