Martin Lewis has urged millions of people due to receive the £150 disability cost of living payment not to be tricked by scammers contacting them and telling them they need to apply for the one-off payment. The consumer champion told viewers of this week’s Money Show Live that the lump sum will be paid automatically by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) directly into the bank accounts of those that are eligible by July 4 - nobody needs to apply.
Martin said: “Beware scammers, anyone telling you you need to click to apply is a scammer. Do not do it. If you don’t get it and you think you should, YOU go to GOV.UK where from July 5 there will be a portal.”
He added: “Anyone contacting you, asking you to click, be careful - very likely a scammer.”
DWP announced on Tuesday that it plans to have paid 99 per cent of those already eligible for the financial support by the end of Monday June 26, but payments will continue until July 4.
More than six million people claiming disability benefits, including Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Adult Disability Payment and Attendance Allowance, will receive money which will appear on accounts and statements as a ‘Bank Giro Credit’ with the claimant’s National Insurance number followed by ‘DWP COL’.
Some 4.8m people have already received the payment, according to the latest information on GOV.UK here.
11 need-to-knows about the £150 payment
Here are 11 key facts everyone due the cost of living payment should know:
- The payment window is open between June 20 and July 4, 2023
- Payments will be made Monday to Friday
- Payments will be made automatically into the same account where your qualifying benefit is normally paid and show your National Insurance number followed by 'DWP COL'
- If you’ve recently changed the account your benefit is paid into it, the £150 may arrive later
- Some 6.7m people claiming any one of nine disability benefits will receive the payment
- Payments are per claimant, not per household
- Qualifying period is April 1, 2023
- Payments will still be made automatically to those waiting for an assessment or award decision - if their claim is later successful
- People in receipt of Child or Adult Disability Payment will receive the money from DWP even though their devolved benefit is paid by Social Security Scotland
- Payments can be reported missing from Wednesday, July 5
- If you receive the payment, but DWP later finds out that you were not eligible for it, you may have to pay it back
£150 cost of living payment in detail
Some 6.7million people claiming one of nine benefits automatically qualify for the payment including Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance (DLA). To qualify, claimants must have received a payment on April 1, 2023 - or later found to be eligible.
For those people awaiting confirmation of their entitlement to disability benefits on April 1, or who are waiting to be assessed for eligibility to receive disability benefits, the payment process may take longer and arrive after the scheduled window closes on July 4, but DWP said the money will still arrive automatically.
£150 disability cost of living payment eligibility
You may be entitled to the £150 payment if you’re getting any of any of the following benefits:
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance for adults
- Disability Living Allowance for children
- Personal Independence Payment
- Adult Disability Payment (Scotland)
- Child Disability Payment (Scotland)
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- War Pension Mobility Supplement
Guidance on GOV.UK adds: “If you were getting a qualifying benefit from the Ministry of Defence and a qualifying benefit from DWP, you will get a disability cost of living payment from DWP only.”
It also warns: “If you receive a disability cost of living payment, but we later find that you were not eligible for it, you may have to pay it back.”
Payment window
The money will be paid automatically into the same account for your qualifying benefit, but will appear as a separate payment.
As mentioned earlier, DWP plans to make 99 per cent of the payments to those already eligible, by June 26. However, payments will continue until July 4.
The guidance on GOV.UK states: “Payments will be made to people who were getting a qualifying disability benefit from DWP before payments to people who were getting a qualifying benefit from the Ministry of Defence.”
DWP has also said that payments may come later, for example if you’re awarded a qualifying benefit at a later date or you change the account your benefit is paid into - but they will still be made automatically.
When to report £150 payment missing
The payment window is open until Tuesday, July 4 and anyone who believes they are eligible, but does not receive £150, can report it missing on GOV.UK from Wednesday, July 5.
DWP has said it will be unable to take any action before that date, possibly for similar reasons given by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) about any missing £301 payments. It said that the delay is necessary to allow banks and building societies time to process the transaction.
More details about all the cost of living payments due between now and spring 2024 can be found on GOV.UK here.
To keep up to date with the latest cost of living news, join our Money Saving Scotland Facebook page here, follow us on Twitter @Record_Money, or subscribe to our newsletter which goes out Monday to Friday - sign up here.
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