People eligible for the £900 cost of living support will receive the payment in three instalments this year, the Department for Work and Pensions has said. The payment was announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in his Autumn statement in November and will be given to around eight million people on means-tested benefits - including those on Universal Credit, Pension Credit and tax credits.
The first payment of £301 will be made in spring 2023, followed by a second of £300 in the autumn 2003 and a final instalment of £299 in spring 2024. There will also be a separate £150 payment for more than six million people with disabilities in summer 2023 and £300 for over eight million pensioners in winter 2023-24.
Exact payment windows will be announced closer to the time, the government said, adding that payments will be spread to ensure consistent support throughout the year. The department added that £900 payment is being delivered in three slightly different amounts, with the distinct values relating to a specific qualifying period, so it is simpler to determine if a payee received the correct payments, reducing the risk of fraud.
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Work and Pensions Secretary, Mel Stride said: "We are sticking by our promise to protect the most vulnerable and these payments, worth hundreds of pounds, will provide vital support next year for those on the lowest incomes.
"The government’s wider support package has already helped more than eight million families as we continue to deal with the global consequences of Putin’s illegal war and the aftershocks of the pandemic."
Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt added: "I know these are tough times for families across the UK who are struggling to meet rising food and energy costs, driven by the aftershocks of Covid and Putin’s war in Ukraine.
"That’s why we’re putting a further £900 into the pockets of over 8 million low income households next year. These payments are on top of above inflation increases to working-age benefits and the Energy Price Guarantee, which is insulating millions from even higher global gas prices.
"Tackling inflation is this government’s number one priority and is the only way to ease the strain of high prices, drive long term economic growth and improve living standards for everyone."
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