The first of three cost of living payments will be made by the Government from today (April 25). The first payment will be £301, with those eligible receiving a total of £900.
The second and third payments of £299 and £300 will be paid later this year and in early 2024. There will also be a £150 payment for people on eligible disability benefits this summer, and a £300 payment on top of Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners at the end of 2023.
Around eight million people are set to receive the cost of living payments. However not all benefits will qualify, the Mirror reports.
According to DWP guidance, people claiming means tested benefits - where your income is taken into account - will get the money. If you claim other benefits, such as contributions-based ones, you will not be receiving the money.
It means that if you claim only one of the following benefits, you will not be getting the cost of living payment:
- Attendance Allowance
- Carer's Allowance
- Child Benefit
- Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- Contributory or New style Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Guardian's Allowance
- Contribution-based or New style Jobseeker's Allowance
- Maternity Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- State pension
Those who will get the cost of living cash need to claim one of the following:
- Universal Credit
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit households are also eligible for the £301 but HMRC will send the payments out between May 2 and May 9. This applies if you only claim a benefit from HMRC - if you claim Tax Credits and another benefit from the DWP, then you'll receive the money between April 25 and May 17 as normal.
Subscribe here for the latest news where you live
If you do claim one means-tested benefit alongside a contribution-based one, then you will get the cost of living payment. So if you get PIP but you also claim Universal Credit alongside it then you will get the money. If you claim only contribution-based benefits, so only claim PIP, then you will not.
For the first payment, you need to have been entitled to the benefit between January 26 and February 25, or received a payment for an assessment period between these dates.
If you are later found to be entitled to one of the eligible benefits for this period of time then you could also get the cost of living payment but at a later date. For example, low-income pensioners not already getting Pension Credit can still qualify for the £301 if they make a successful backdated claim by May 19.
Those who are entitled to the cost of living payment do not need to do apply or do anything to receive it. Payments will be staggered over the next couple of weeks - meaning not everyone entitled to receive a payment will receive it on April 25.
